


Code name: Silver Fox

by DragonsoulRising



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
Genre: Brandis Love, Clit Play, F/M, Kissing, Licking, Lots of Cum, Masturbation in Shower, Mutual Masturbation, Mutual Pining, My First Work in This Fandom, Nipple Licking, Oral Sex, Pre-War ideals, Promiscuity, Romantic Tension, Sex, Sexual Tension, Shower Sex, Shyness, Work In Progress, Writing as fast as I can
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-22
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-04-06 07:21:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 55,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14051844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonsoulRising/pseuds/DragonsoulRising
Summary: This is an AU story relying heavily on canon facts of how Paladin Brandis returned to the Brotherhood.  In this story the Female Sole Survivor is successful in convincing the Paladin to return to the Brotherhood, but instead of walking away and leaving him to cross the 'Wealth alone, they travel back to the Prydwen together.This alternate story takes place after the Fort Strong mission has been complete, leaving Paladin Danse to help with the removal of the Mini Nukes.  Sole takes it upon herself to complete the Lone Survivor mission and she and Dogmeat find Paladin Brandis in Recon Bunker Theta.  The story begins here.





	1. Crossing the 'Wealth

It took all my skill to convince Brandis to rejoin with his beloved Brotherhood of Steel. He had been long locked away in this bunker, thinking he was abandoned and forgotten. You could see the burden of those thoughts etched in his face. It was a potent blend of fear mixed with anger and lots and lots of loneliness. He was a shattered man, yes, but he had the inner strength to heal. He just needed someone to help him see that.

Convincing him to return to the brotherhood had, in retrospect been the easiest part of this mission. When I proposed to cross the 'Wealth with him to where the Prydwen was moored, the roof almost blew off the bunker. We fought for hours about it. I couldn’t even think about sending this man across the Wealth alone, that and I missed travelling with that block head Danse. He was completing his part of the mission and had stayed behind to help clear the Mini Nukes out of Fort Strong. And really what did I have to rush back to? My orders from Danse were to locate Brandis. Mission accomplished. He never said weather or not I had to come back right away. Well technically speaking that was stretching the truth slightly. The epic fight ended and when the dust settled Brandis and I set out for the Prydwen that very afternoon.

With no timeline for his return I saw no reason to rush. The 'Wealth will supply it’s own challenges to us along the way, so why should we sprint headlong into them? Beside me walked a silent, broken man who had made the choice to heal. Time was the very thing he needed now to regroup before being thrown back into the fire and energy of the Brotherhood. He had had pocketed the personal holotapes of each of the fallen officers and scribes I found, and he now wore all of their dog tags as well. The glow from the combined collection could be seen from time to time under the collar of his distinct black BOS uniform. That first half day we traveled together he hardly spoke. He was content to let me take point and set the pace. He kept up effortlessly, his time in the Brotherhood reflected in his rapier thin frame. He was carved by the active life of his years of service. Wide shoulders and a narrow waist, long legs and deceptively strong. Yeah, I looked. A lot. Sue me! 

My time with Paladin Danse, he left me frustrated as well, only Danse could. I guess I was just happy to be out from under all that. Keeping company with someone who I caught staring at my larger than regulation sized ass stuffed into this outrageous orange BOS jump suit, was refreshing. Hey, was he blushing? Oh, maybe not. It’s hard to tell in the crepuscular light of sunset.  
The Paladin and I had discussed over-nighting at Greentop Nursery. I had confirmed that I knew the place to be friendly, with lots of space for us to crash. It was his idea to arrive with something offer in trade for the nights stay. We were discussing what we could bring when the Rad stag sprang up from the heavy brush ahead of us. We both had our weapons drawn and discharged at the same time. Both of the animal’s heads blew apart from one energy weapon and one bullet sending the Rad stag to all of it’s knees. “Nice shooting Knight” he said quietly over his still drawn laser weapon. He had dropped to one knee, weapon rock steady. His eyes were scanning to see if our noise had drawn anything larger. “You too Paladin” I responded quietly, holstering my Destroyer. Dogmeat had bounded ahead to the stag and was sniffing the bleeding heads as we approached. Brandis set to work gutting the animal. “Knight, he said grunting as he cracked through the rib cage, “You should find a long enough branch so we can move this out of here”. I didn’t have to wander far to find something long and stout enough. I dragged the stick that was, like most things in this world, taller than I was back to find Brandis, BOS suit stripped to his waist ready to tie the legs to the pole. Yeah, I stared, again. That suit was not hiding anything shameful let me tell you, the man was ripped and the proof was right in front of me. Body fat was not something he had to worry about. He was efficient with his cuts and the job was done quickly, legs tied to the pole, ready to go. I picked up my end and looked over to Brandis, who had paused to use a dampened cloth to clean off the blood from his arms and stomach. He acknowledged my frank stare with a small smirk. Yup, that was an 8 pack. His wipe down finished he chucked the cloth and water skin back in his pack, turned to look at me and slowly zipped up his uniform. I didn’t look away, he finished, bent over and picked up his end of the pole, and we were off stag swinging between us.

Greentop Nursery was an established but still new settlement. The people who lived here were now well defended by all the turrets I had cobbled together for them. The look out saw us as we were coming down the hill and we were greeted by the people armed with what they had on hand. My face was the pass for us to get in, but Brandis was the hero of the day who, in their eyes, provided the meat. I didn’t bother to correct them. Their thankful praise was working it’s own version of magic on him. The rad stag was taken away and we were ushered to the campfire where Dogmeat was fussed over and we were seated close enough to keep the cool of the quickly approaching night at bay. Brandis held his own with the small crowd that formed up that night. A hearty rad stag stew was handed around, he never had to ask for seconds and even thirds, it was just provided for him. His appreciation for "the best radstag stew this side of the Charles River", won him their hearts completely that night. Talk around the camp fire flowed from daily chores, to sore muscles, to eventually where we all came from. It was now late enough that the group was winnowed down to just a handful of people. As luck would have it, the conversation passed to Brandis before it came to me. He stared into the flame for a bit before he shared his story. I reached over and placed my hand on his forearm. I wanted to tell him he didn’t have to talk if he didn’t want to, but he put his hand over mine, looked over at me, took a deep breath and slowly the tale came out. He was the leader of Recon Squad Artemis, he was in charge of 5 other people. A series of attacks from various hostiles separated his squad. He had tried to keep them together, but one by one the combined forces they were pitted against winnowed his team down. Eventually he had, with much trouble made it to the rendezvous point. Here he waited for the others to meet. Here he had hoped to see them all again. His radio played nothing but static every night until the battery died. His patrols around the bunker yielded no sign of his team. He paused, story at an end, his long silence answered the unasked question if he ever saw any of them again. He ended the story by standing up, he had not yet let go of my hand. Everyone still around the fire was silent, eyes on him. He met each one with a nod, and then looked down at me, I knew he wanted to retire and stood up. Still holding my hand we walked over to the more private room I had arranged for him. When he saw the accommodations he refused them, shaking his head. “I just want...., I can’t stand the thought of being alone again.” he said. “Fair enough Brandis” I reply, and lead him to the communal sleeping space. Beds lined the walls in bedrooms of the old house, I take a bunk near the centre of the room, he takes the one right next to me. He tucks his pack under the bed, lays down and within a few minutes he’s out. The dog lays down in the space between our beds and likewise pancakes himself and he’s asleep too. I shake my head, tuck my pack under the bunk like Brandis, and lay down. I don’t remember falling asleep, but I did. I woke with the grey light of false dawn to find that at some point in the night Brandis had shoved his bed closer to mine the dog was now sleeping under his bunk, oblivious to the change. Brandis was curled on his side one arm reaching across the mattresses touching my shoulder. His breathing was even and slow. I didn’t think much about his actions, crushing loneliness is a hard feeling to shake, who was I to deny a little comfort to someone who needed it?

We rose with the real dawn, downed a couple more bowls of the rad stag stew and headed out onto the road. The lookout at Greentop was there to see us off with a wave. Paladin Brandis seemed more determined, grounded, alive even. He smiled more as our eyes met, always alert and scanning. He let me take point again as I knew where the much maligned Pridwen had moored. MAXON! He roared, ELDER?!?! That was his reaction in a nutshell. There were more expletives but I don’t have enough time in the day to list them all here.   
We stuck to the roads until we neared Saugus Iron works. Those Forged freaks were an impossible handful and I always swung wide of the place. Finch Farm was in front of us now so we stopped to adjust packs, drink some water and trade with the settlers there. Brandis was quiet during the brief visit, and when we were back making tracks on the road, smirking he said “Don’t tell me, you had a hand in helping set up that place too?” I just smiled and nodded. We walked on for another half hour or so enjoying the sunshine, his smirk faded from his face when he saw where we were heading, the Revere Satellite array was up ahead. Brandis ground his teeth, anger apparent. We dodged from cover to cover keeping out of site of the Super Mutants that still swarmed the place. He had paused on the road as we were sneaking by the southern most array, his eyes locked on the suspended shack where Scribe Fenris’ remains still lay. I boldly ventured to rest my hand on his shoulder. Wanting to give him some much needed support I said, “We’ll come back here Paladin and we'll wipe them all off the face of the earth”. "We'll get revenge for Fenris and the others". He stared for a few seconds more, then he turned his head to look at my hand on his shoulder. He lowered his gaze to me, eyes so cold with remembered pain. “Thank you, Knight” he said, heavy emotion trapped in those words. We silently moved on, determined to push on until we reached the airport, we had made tracks for about an hour before the Wealth altered our plans.


	2. Bolt Hole'd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The "Wealth can be a dangerous place for the uninitiated. Sole and Brandis find themselves in the middle of no where when one of the aforementioned dangers drives them to make a quick decision about shelter. It's close, for both Shy Sole and Brandis this time together reveals much about each other.

Shit! I cursed out loud looking at the readings from my Pip Boy. Brandis, at my side looked at the device strapped to my arm as well. The Geiger Counter was was beating out a restless staccato. We both looked to the horizon at the same time. A swift moving darkness was just visible, the tell tale forks of green lightening proclaiming worse to come. “We need shelter now, I say, and with no time to be picky the only likely refuge to be seen is a bus, or rather, what’s left of it just down the road. Closer inspection of the bus shows the top has been shorn off as it apparently rolled down the hill and settled back on the road. Dogmeat who had run to the other side of the bus, barked excitedly nose down near the ground, front feet digging at the earth. We walked around the wreck and noticed that someone, or something, had dug a passable tunnel under the bus. The Dog barked again, visibly excited. Without batting an eye, Brandis hands me his kit, draws his boot knife, and pirate style enters the hole head first knife clenched in his teeth. The storm has now doubled it’s speed, I can hear the hissing and strikes of the lightening closing the distance, the wind has picked up and is starting to throw around the dust. Visibility is dropping quickly.  
With his legs still poking out the hole, I barely hear his muffled “Clear”. Brandis worked his way down into the space under the bus and I bend down to shove in the packs and weapons as his hand reaches up to take them from me. Brandis has removed his dog-tags from under his uniform, the glow from his collection is enough light to see a small tight space. I whistle for Dogmeat and point down the hole he found for us. "Good boy", I say as he obediently heads in. 

The green lightening is now splitting the sky almost above me. The sound is unbelievable. I’ve been in Rad storms before but always where I had more than adequate shelter. I’m staring around me when another green flash forks the sky. My gaze is distracted by a ground level flash in the corner of my eye. The rain starts to spatter as I dash across the broken pavement and pick up a square piece of corrugated metal. This I think is big enough to hopefully block the opening to keep out most of the wind and now this fucking rain!   
In the time it takes me to run across the road the rain has changed to a deluge and I'm completely soaked! The return trip across the road clutching the metal sheet is made more challenging by high buffeting winds. It’s a constant struggle to hold the metal from blowing away. My wrestling results in cuts to both hands by the time I make it back to the bus and the bolt hole entrance. I can hear Brandis desperately yelling for me. “Knight! Knight!” I lean down and yell his name. He stops calling out. The dog-tag glow tells me he’s close enough to hear me. “Brandis, when you see them, grab my feet and pull me down.” The sky lights up again and thunder booms as I sit down and enter the hole feet first. I’m not a tall woman so I slide in about two feet before Brandis can reach my feet. My arms are extended straight above me and I yell at him to pull me in. Unexpectedly he pulls a lot harder and faster than I thought. The metal piece is easily wedged into place as Brandis grabs my calf muscles and hauls on me again, I let go of the metal as he pulls me down one more time. This time with his hands on my waist I’m pulled sliding on my back across his long legs into the tight small space.

It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dark of what appears to be a small dug out cave large enough for the one single mattress that has been stuffed down here. Brandis is not done hauling me around, he encircles one arm around my back and pulls me up into a sitting position. The strength of the man catches me off guard and I let out a gasp as he effortlessly raises me. The glow from the dog-tags, shows me the packs neatly stowed to his right, it also shows him the blood I earned wrestling our junkyard door. “Your hands”, he says, seeing the cuts on the palms. The hand that was around my waist moves to catch my wrist as he examines the cut. “It’s not too deep thank goodness” he says. He reaches back and snags his pack and draws it forward. He fishes out a first aid kit and one handed pops open the top. It’s a quick fish for the gauze and he passes the roll to me. The bleeding has mostly stopped now, but this is a necessary step out here in the wastes. Infection is killer. I tie off the first one and after bandaging the second hand him back the remaining gauze. He takes my bound hands and rests them back on his chest. They throb slightly but are otherwise OK. 

I notice finally now that the bandaging crisis is over, that I’m sitting in his lap. My legs split wide one on either side of his waist. He still has me in his strong grip. I can feel his heart beating under the thin black BOS suit and I can’t tell if it’s from the exertion of pulling me into the hole, or if it’s from....No don’t think about it, I tell myself. I realize I have been staring into his eyes this entire time. His dilated pupils are fixed on my face. It’s so dim in here, I cant’ tell if its because of the low light or that maybe he’s.....again, stop thinking!! His breathing is as fast as my own. Exertion, then, I decide. His in drawn breath is loud in the tiny space, his baritone voice husky. He smiles, a slow tentative thing that spreads eventually to his eyes. The first real smile I have seen on his face since we met. “You”, he begins, stops looks down and then back up at my face again. Is he blushing now? Like anyone could tell in this dim weird light! He frees one hand from around my waist and points to his own face. “You have some dirt right there.” DIRT?? Internally that pre-war must-be-perfect all the time-girl is horrified!! I reluctantly raise my hand from his chest and swipe in the general area he’s indicating, he shakes his head, I take another stab at it and fail again. He carefully catches my bandaged hand, on my third try, and puts it back on his chest, and gently removes the dirt from my face. Now I know I’m blushing! I freeze as he touches me. And when he’s done he slowly lowers his left arm from my shoulders, he traces a trail slowly down my spine to rest on my hip. The deliberate movement makes me shiver, now, was it because of the man or was it because I was soaked from the rain and starting to chill down? A delicious warmth starts to uncurl inside me and I shiver again. “You’re soaked” he said mistaking my shivers for the cold. He snaked his right arm to the foot of the bed and grabbed my pack this time. Without asking to he reached in and snagged the first piece of clothing he found. My vault suit. It slithered out of the bag in a quiet whisper, and in the dim light of his dog tags it practically yells its origin. The yellow numbers sewn onto the back of the suit blaze their 111. It landed between us like a lead balloon. He looked at the suit, and then back to me again, and asked. “Is this yours, or did you loot it?” I can’t fail to see the confusion in his eyes. I judge that the truth, no matter how unique is needed. Thunder rumbles the bus above us, I jump from the noise. He reflexively reaches up and steadies me, holding onto me again, and I start my answer. “It’s mine”. I say. “I was given that on October 23, 2077, the day the bombs fell.” I picked up the suit and ran the thin fabric through my fingers, the whisper sound it made somehow loud in the tiny cave. I continued, “Brandis, I was cryogenic ally frozen for 200 years. I’ve been “awake” for about 8 months now.” I paused, waiting for him to respond. Silence. I made to lean back and move to the empty space beside him, but he tightened his arm around me. “I, I have some questions”, he whispered.

So the storm raged on outside, and I answered his questions. He had a lot of them. We stayed sitting together, with me in his lap, his face practically 2 inches from mine, and I told him everything. Nate, Shawn, the fear on the day the bombs fell, the kidnapping and everything else that had brought me to the BOS. I can’t recall when his questioning ended. It may have been 20 minutes or 20 days, time stood still while he asked, and I answered.   
When his questions stopped he slowly lowered his left arm and I felt myself released, dismissed almost. Did I disappoint the Paladin? Did he even believe me? I carefully climbed from his lap and moved to the remaining free space on the single mattress beside him. I felt his lack of body heat as I immediately started to get chill again. I dragged the vault suit to me from across his lap. He snagged the cuff of the leg, and with it my attention.

His deep baritone filled the room again, sad eyes looked at me “I’ll turn around while you get changed.” Ever the gentleman, he placed the material in my hand and awkwardly gathered his long legs up and turned his back to me. The dog huffed on the floor and rolled his eyes at me. I shook my head at him and started to disrobe. Or, tried to start, the friggin’ zipper down the back of my BOS suit, wouldn’t move. I tried again, it was jamming against something. Frustrated I looked up at the dirt ceiling of the small cave, and whispered his name. He replied without turning around. Gentleman to the bone. “I need your help with this, stupid, frustrating zipper”.... I sighed and presented my back to him. He slowly turned around. “Oh, yes, I remember now, these uniform zippers can stick periodically” he said as he tried to work the zipper free with no success. “Knight, at the risk of sounding forward”, he said. I need to reach in and dislodge the material that’s caught in the zipper.” I unclasped the collar further and lowered my head, “OK, go ahead” I said. I tried not to jump when he touched my skin. His hand slid in between the collar and the back of my neck as he felt for the fabric jam. I felt the mattress dip as he moved closer, his breath was hot on the back of my neck as he leaned in to work the zipper and the material of my jumpsuit apart. I felt the jam give with a small rip. The zipper now free started to slowly travel down my back, his other hand sliding along my skin on the same path keeping the fabric separate from the zipper. Slowly he pulled it, completely open to my lower back. “There, finished” was all he said as he moved away from me. Without another word I felt the mattress dip and move as he turned around again, when the shifting stopped I knew his back was to me, it was safe to continue changing. The wet BOS suit clung as I had to literally peel it off. I noticed that there was indeed a rip by where the fabric had snagged and set it aside to be mended, after it dried. The Vault suit slid on like the second skin it was, and I was decently zipped up in no time.   
“Ok, I’m done now.” I said, adding a touch to the shoulder in case he couldn’t hear me because of the storm. He turned around and stared at me sitting there in my vault suit. It fit perfectly, as it was tailored to do. After a few intense moments of scrutiny he broke the silence,“You weren’t lying to me”. He says in a heavily distracted way. He looks at his hands and whispers the next bit, more to himself than anything. “There is no way that someone born in this day and age has skin like yours.” I gasp and almost miss the word “Perfection” as it passes his lips, whispered like a prayer.

Seconds, minutes, or maybe even hours pass as we sit there in wordless tension, the storm rages above us. The dog, bless him breaks the moment, when he stands up, stretches and does one of those timeless "doggy turny" things and lays back down, groaning as he finds that perfect spot. Smiling at my mutt I run my hands along his fur down his curled back glorying in the softness. “Knight”, Brandis says to me as I pet the dog. “We should turn in too, this storm does not seem to be letting up any time soon and we might as well catch some sleep while we can.” “Good idea Paladin” I reply. He turned in the tight space at the end of the mattress so he could crawl up the mattress and stretch out behind me. Hey lay on the thin strip that represents precisely his half of the space, his back again to mine. And like the dog when he layed down Brandis let out a big sigh. I am quickly left awake in the tiny cave space, with the storm raging above and two sleeping bodies on either side of me. I realize that wedged in between them as I am, I am warm for the first time in forever, and could really use some shut-eye. I try desperately to lay down and not fall off the mattress or touch the back of the Paladin behind me. I give up, it’s useless. I’ll spend whatever time we have sleeping on the ground with the dog if I keep this up. Damn it! Cheeks burning, I stubbornly sit up for a bit longer, listening to the storm. I tell myself it has nothing to do with my racing heart, or the pre-war woman inside me screaming about how “socially wrong” this situation is. Nope! None of that. More time goes by, my companions breathing has evened out, slowed. Dogmeat chases something in his dreams with quiet yips and jerky feet. Brandis is a solid wall at my back. Just do it, just put your damn back against his! I berate myself. Deep breath, I move slowly backwards until I feel the warmth of him. Grumbling about appearances I lay down on my side in the space I have left. I feel safe wedged where I am for the first time in forever and I too slide into sleep.

A cold wet nose presses against my cheek. My eyes pop open to total darkness. I freeze. Dogmeat, is in front of me, his nose touches me again and I reach for him, my sanity anchor in the darkness. Behind me nestled against me is an unfamiliar body. An arm is around my waist, holding my smaller curled form into it’s larger one. A leg is cast over mine, effectively pinning me down. I can feel each of their warm exhalations as it crosses my cheek. Is that a beard tickling the back of my neck? The dog isn’t freaking out, that’s gotta mean something good, right? My sleep addled brain slowly boots up, and I remember things in chunks. Brandis. Storm. Bolt hole. We’re under a bus! The arm around my waist tightens. He groans in his sleep and stretches against me, his entire lean length making contact, including his growing arousal. The motion of the stretch places its length firmly against my backside sliding perfectly between my ass cheeks. My traitorously thin vault suit leaves no sensation spared! I can feel his shaft lengthen and harden, the pulse of it beating the same rhythm as what I feel through my back pressed against his chest. His hips buck slowly, toward me grinding his length against me again and again. His heart rate increases, he takes in a deep breath stretches again and comes slowly to consciousness. 

His whole body jerks against mine as he realizes the proprietary way he’s found himself holding me. He surprises me by not letting go, not even pulling away. He also doesn’t take further advantage of the situation. Many heartbeats pass and I belatedly realize he’s leaving it up to me, to stay or to break away. So with a nonchalance I do not feel, I slowly sit up and stretch. I banished the darkness with light from my Pip Boy, it’s harsh and it floods the small space. Lamely, I can't look at him, afraid to embarrass myself or him with any blatant stares that would inevitably lock my gaze onto his big...well you know!! So instead I busied myself stuffing my ripped BOS uniform into my pack. I checked the readout on my Pip Boy and confirmed out loud what the quiet at the end of the tunnel already told us. “Geiger counter is not clicking anymore", I say more to the dog than Brandis. "I think I’ll go up and see what’s happening.” He doesn’t move to stop me, or say a word as I crawl off the mattress and scramble up the tunnel. The metal door yields with a screech after my second punch and Dogmeat powers past me into the sunshine and fresh air. His relaxed body language proclaiming that all is well. I crawled out to a blue sky and stretched again, the sun a welcome warmth on my skin. Knight”, Brandis called to me from the tunnel, our supplies were passed up, one bag and gun at a time. Dogmeat was already prowling a tight perimeter so I had no fear of anyone or anything sneaking up on us. I know the blush on my cheeks was still burning when I grabbed his questing hand and helped to haul his lanky frame out. He stayed hunkered down to replace the metal door over the hole. “You never know when a bolt-hole like this will come in handy again”, he said more to Dogmeat who had returned to sniff at what Brandis was doing. He scratched the dogs ears and then stood, brushing off the excess dirt from his uniform. Looking at me he asked “How long were we down that hole?”. I checked with the Pip Boy and realized we had been there over 15 hours. He was as surprised as I was. I looked at him for the first time since our awkward awakening and smiled. “Um, Paladin” I say. He looks down at me, one eyebrow raised in query. I point to my face and say “you have some dirt on your face, right there”. He can’t seem to find it on his own and on his third attempt I reach up and gently wipe it off his cheek. I’m close enough to his face to notice the blush under all that beard. He steps back from me with a hand covering his mouth as he coughs. I notice he’s touching the spot where my hand had touched him. “We should move out, Knight” he gruffly says, raising his back pack and shouldering his weapon. Smiling to myself, I settled my own pack, whistled for Dogmeat and we did just that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next stop, the Prydwen? What will result from their time together in the Bolt-hole? Is Sole really that shy? So many questions.


	3. Quenching His Thirst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey to the Prydwen continues. We are close now to our destination, but the 'Wealth is not quite ready to let us go.

We ate a variety of dried rations from our packs as we walked. My stomach was not satisfied with this simple fare. I tried not to think about hot tea and chocolate bars, I really did. To keep my mind off all that I missed, I consulted my Pip Boy. I knew according to the map the airport was at a manageable distance away. I also knew about the ‘Wealth’s finest scum in between us and our destination. I shared what I knew about the lay of the land with Brandis, his questions helped us to plan how we would approach our final destination. We walked parallel to the Chelsea river, or what was left of it, and kept onto the old highway that used to lead directly to the airport. Revere beach was not as I remembered it- gone was the endless strip of sunny beach populated with scantily clad bodies worshipping the sun. Now blood bugs and bot flies swarmed the change rooms and there was no more wide clean beach. We tried to get past without the notice of the pests but we ended up taking down the gigantic buzzing bloodsuckers anyway. Dogmeat was delighted with the feast. “Oh that’s a hard no for me” I said almost gagging as I watched the dog scarf down, well, everything. Brandis laughed, and pointed out that Blood bug was good roasted over a fire. I think my turning green amused him.

When we came to the roadside diner just past the first bridge, I followed Brandis as we ducked in to crouch behind the counters. There was raider sign up ahead and Brandis wanted to do a weapons check, out of sight of any look outs. We sat down and poured over our already perfect weapons. As he worked he took a small sip of water and handed me his canteen. It was warm from being pressed up against his body all day and with my usual high level of grace, I spilled a generous quantity down my face and neck and into my vault suit! I could feel it trickling through my cleavage. He tisked me, (because apparently he had been watching me drink?), and reached over to catch a drip from the end of my chin. He licked his finger and smiled a very foxy smile. “Thirsty are we?” I asked him frustrated with my now soaked front. I was mad at myself for such a Classic Sole move, pulling the fabric up and waving it to get it to dry. No grace under pressure here, just plain ole cluztyness. Brandis snapped me out of my pity party with his reply. “Oh, yes I find myself very thirsty.” he said, his whisper quiet and intense. And without any warning he leaned in close and slowly licked my wet neck. Instantly a shiver raced down my spine. My neck was still wet, and the remaining water still finding it’s way into my quickly heating vault suit. In a voice I barely recognized, I asked “Are you still thirsty Paladin?” a little breathless. Ok!, Time out! Question, where did all the air go suddenly? Like I was just breathing normally a few seconds ago! With my heart skipping around in my chest like a rabbit on crack, he leans in another time and licks my neck again, his tongue tracing a path from near my collar, and ending with a soft kiss to my jawline. Oh, those delicious shivers dance down my spine again, this time firing desires I had not felt in a long time. I suck in a breath, and start to turn my head toward him. OMG, I think to myself, he, just kissed me! The dog begins to softly growl, snapping us both to attention. He’s staring right at Brandis. “Whoa! Dogmeat! Easy boy!” I say to him quietly. Dogmeat kicks up the volume of his growl, baring his fangs, and advances on the Paladin. Brandis freezes, hands held out to the side, whispering over and over "It’s OK boy,”. Dogmeat is now so close, he’s almost standing on Brandis when he jumps in a perfect arc right over the Paladin and bolts down the center of the Diner to the back door. A raider who had snuck up to the back door was flushed out of his hiding space cursing. Dogmeat, snarling furiously jumped at the man and grabbed onto his arm dragging him off balance. The shrieking man was pulled so hard he whips his other hand sending his weapon flying., He recovered somewhat and was raising his arm to hit the dog. A laser rifle is quickly balanced on my shoulder and fires off beside my ear in one smooth move, the heat of the passing beam a blast on my skin. My own 10mm was on the level ready to fire. The raider’s head is severed from it’s neck. The dog lets go and jumps back as the head pinwheels in the air, bloody arcs alternately painting the ceiling and floor as it spins out the shattered window. His body stumbles back out the door and falls on the parking lot outside. Door swinging back into place. The dog stands back from the corpse as it's neck fountains blood onto the thirsty cracked pavement in the parking lot. The head rolls a small distance away, filthy hat still wedged on, eyes frozen in a surprised stare.  
The gravel crunches outside under quick footsteps, looks like he wasn’t alone. 

Brandis lifts his rifle off my shoulder and signs that he wants us to split up, and we separate to get into position. It’s a classic play, he’ll stay put and I’ll sneak around behind the raider. I quietly slip out the back door through the broken bottom window panel, I keep crouched and make my way back around to the parking lot entrance. I’m quietly sneaking to the back near where the headless raider now rested. Brandis stays put behind the counter and waits to see if Raider #2 is stupid enough to try a frontal assault. Dummy took one look at his headless friend and his face scrunches up, in what I assume was his rage face. He shrieks and roars and kicks in the door going for the shock and awe approach. The door swings in, bangs hard against the booth behind it, and fly’s back so fast it slams him right in the aforementioned rage face. I heard his nose crunch driving the cartilage up into his brain, I watched his eyes roll back in his head as he went rag doll. Aaaand we have a KO in round 2! I snickered quietly as dumb ass went down like a rodeo clown. (as in ugly, he went down really ugly) I waited in position scanning to see if anyone else was coming. I couldn’t hear anything and Dogmeat was relatively calm. He had slunk back to me and was pressed to my side shaking a little adrenaline burning off. Moments later I heard a low whistle and an “All clear Knight” from Brandis. He came out the back door both our packs in hand. He passed me mine as he bent down, knife in hand and slit the neck of the raider with the broken nose. A quick search of the raiders yields a few items of worth. The most interesting was a note from a guy named Jimmy. He wrote that the stash in the abandoned container storage yard needed to be moved as the area had recently become “hot”. “Brotherhood patrols spooking the scum no doubt” Brandis muttered checking out the details on the paper. I pocketed the crude note with the scribbled map. I stood up, knees cracking a protest and looked for a place to store the extra items in my hands, so without asking I started stuffing what I had left into Brandis’ empty pockets. I snuck a glance at his face while I was moving from one side to the other and he didn’t seem to mind the intrusion. Once that was done I re-shouldered my pack and we headed out. “Oh, Paladin”, I say as we hit the main road, as innocently as I can holding up his canteen, head tilted to the side, eyes wide with a huge smile on my face “Still thirsty?


	4. Triumphant return?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brandis returns to the Brotherhood and Sole is starting to realize that he means something to her.

Boston Prep was quiet outside, the dense raider population tended to cower in it’s dark hallways and cavernous rooms. They relied on the friendly looking trader signs to bring in their victims. So getting past the huge structure was the work of a few moments. We didn’t have to out guns, or use any of my stash of Stealth Boys. (I really like my Stealth Boys!!) The last major barrier before the Airport was the East City Down’s, gambling, drinking and a heavy raider population made for an unstable population. The stink of the place alone was enough to keep out the unwary. A heady aroma of beer, piss, and unwashed bodies. With the evening fast approaching the whole place was lit up. You could hear that they were running the bots, the announcer was calling the race and the crowds cheering came in waves. With all eyes on the races we snuck past the Down’s with little trouble. To be on the safe side I diverted us behind the row of houses in front of the racetrack so we could get by as unseen as possible. Brandis was not impressed with the situation. He stood staring at the race track. I could tell he was planning something, I just hoped it would not take place at this moment in time. I poked his arm with my finger and he turned around and looked at me. "Paladin?" I asked indicating with my head we should keep moving. He turned and started walking with me again shaking his head at what he had seen.

We did one final diversion to the Container crates stash. Might as well check and see if Jimmy’s map would pan out anything of value. It would also delay for a while longer the return to the Prydwen. I did mention the map was crude, right? Maybe Jimmy was at one time a literate man, but I have a feeling the excess beer malts and jet residue in his brain had done it’s damage. His directions lacked, well, they lacked accuracy. We stumbled around the container yard for the better part of an hour before we found the stash. In all fairness to the map, it was accurate for the immediate location of the items, just not anything else 3 meters away from it. The large green metal storage chest had a lock that was master level, it yielded to my lock picking skill in no time. Someone wanted to really keep whatever was in here out of the hands of any random encounters. Brandis, who had put his hand on my back as I bent over the lock with my bobby pin and screwdriver was appreciative of the quick way I opened the box. “That was impressive Knight, just where did you learn to do that?” I just smiled up at him as I lifted the lid.  
The box was full, stuffed with food and ammo. There was a corner that was crammed with medicine and drugs and under all of that was a collection of BOS uniforms. Nothing from command, but enough of the lower ranks to not raise suspicion. "Shit", I whispered putting two and two together. “You have someone on the inside either supplying the enemy, or whom ever is filling this chest is a Raider or Gunner in disguise”. Brandis was silent, taking in the supplies, he knelt down and touched the uniforms, confirming their authenticity. “Command needs to know” he said. So we emptied out his pack of anything unnecessary into mine and loaded the stolen goods into his. It was a very full pack when we were done. I closed the lid and re locked the chest so it would appear untouched.

It was then that I proposed to Brandis that he walk in through the gates and back into the Brotherhood, alone. Without me. He didn’t think that was such a good idea and argued with me. I told him I thought it was very important that he come back to the BOS alone, in control and under his own power. That I thought it would give him legendary status to come back, kitted up and ready to report. I just knew that somehow I would diminish, or reduce what he was owed by these people. I was too much of a rogue variable, a wild child favored by the leadership because I was unique in unexplained ways. I was always other, different and made unapproachable because, well no one really knew where I stood in the hierarchy. I was not a popular person on the Prydwen and I didn’t want that to stain him, or detract from what his return truly would mean for the Brotherhood. He didn’t want to leave me alone in the ‘Wealth, as he saw it, unprotected. I just smiled at him and reassured him that I would go to the settlement across the bay, Nordhegen Beach needed my attention. When I was done I would come back to the Prydwen, giving him a chance to settle in. "You can see the lights, just there" I said as I pointed across the bay. Full dark made the twinkling lights easy to see. As an afterthought I added that he could easily see them from the deck of the Prydwen too.

He looked at the lights across the bay, resettled his pack, he took a long look at me again, nodded and struck out for the gates. Ever the military man, he moved out smartly, a man in complete control.

As we had earlier agreed, I stayed and watched him until they let him back in. Perched up on a shipping container afforded me the best position to watch.  
He stood, at ease under the blazing lights at the gates, straight backed, rock solid. That wild silver hair of his blazed like a halo, all eyes and not a few weapons were trained on him. The dog tags of his fallen brethren were all out on his chest plain to see. That was my last brilliant idea before we parted. I had gently one by one pulled them out from under his uniform. He stood still while I undid the collar and slowly placed them on his chest, fanning them out. He remained there not moving, eyes on my face until the collar was done up again. My traitor hands began to smooth the fabric of his black BOS uniform across his chest, I could feel him trembling under my touch. It was plain that neither of us wanted to part ways. It was when I looked up at him to say goodbye that he bent his head to kiss me, his lips gently connected with mine. Somehow my traitorous bandaged hands dug into the fabric of his uniform, holding on while the chaste kiss was slowly ended. My Gentleman shared a sad smile and tucked my fly away hair behind my ear. With a final searching look he turned and threaded his way through the containers, onto the road and to the gates. I could feel that kiss on my lips for hours afterwards. 

The furor at the checkpoint continued for another twenty minutes after he first answered the sentry's challenge. I’m not sure the gate goons quite knew the protocol for when an officer listed as MIA suddenly returned after 3 years. The commotion continued to buzz around him, and still he remained at ease. There was loud yelling and everyone snapped to attention, including Brandis. The gates swung open and I was pleased to see that Elder Maxon was front and center. A phalanx of Paladins marched out in lock step and formed up around Brandis and Maxon. After what I can assume was a question and answer session, Brandis was escorted back into the fold, walking beside Maxon. 

I stayed where I was until the vertibird took him up to the Prydwen. Dogmeat was pressed to my side keeping me warm. It was full dark now, perfect time for me to get moving. It wasn’t indecision that kept me rooted to the spot, I really did have to go, the Beach had radioed the Minutemen for help, it was not something I should ignore. I was reluctant to move, because I knew that when I did, the magic of our journey would be over. Kinda stupid of me, I know. I scratched Dogmeat’s head and shuffled off the top of the crate I was sitting on. My boots thudded as I hit the ground, the dog followed behind a moment later and we were on our way to the Beach.


	5. SongBird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 'Wealth has kept her away and now Sole just wants to get back to the Prydwen, and in all honesty to him. It's been so long, far longer than she ever thought a simple request from a settlement would take. She's worried, scared and excited and wants that first sight of him to be special. Fingers crossed he even still remembers her.

3 weeks, three long hellish weeks it took to ultimately return the abducted settler to the Nordhagen Beach. Dogmeat and I had crossed most of the ‘Wealth with this quest, I’m sure of it. Normally when I accomplish a mission I feel a great satisfaction, but this time I was restless and edgy, all I wanted was to get back to the Prydwen. I could see it’s silhouette floating in the distance, so close now, and still so far away. The settlers were gearing up for a celebration, everyone ecstatic over the safe return of their kidnapped member. I tried to make my excuses, but the leader convinced me to stay at least for the meal. He had been hoping I would stay the night he was disappointed with my decision but my heart was set on returning to the Prydwen. So we stayed for the meal and left shortly after. I made sure to leave good intentions behind, as I unloaded every bottle of alcohol I had acquired tracking down their member. Vodka, Bourbon and a few bottles of wine caused an impromptu dance party to begin. It was full dark when Dogmeat and I melted away. This was a path that the dog and I were very familiar with. I braved turning on my Pip-boy light crossing the bridge as it was pocked with holes large enough for even my fat ass to fall through. Before we came to the ‘Down’s I turned off the light and we tracked left and skirted the Raider hot spot behind the still standing buildings. We hugged the on ramp and took the footpath beside it along the beach. I was in a hurry to get to the Prydwen, and if I was honest, to him. I jumped down to the sandy beach and cut through the garbage strewn shoreline. It was time to get wet when we crossed where the road used to be, now partially submerged behind the parking structure near the airport. The water was cool, but not intolerable. Oh, we were so close now, you can see the lights along the perimeter. We picked up the pace and jogged to the gates. Three long weeks, three long lonely weeks, head left spinning from that good-bye kiss. I had long debated (with myself of course) if that was a “goodbye, for now” kiss or if it was a “so long and thanks for the good time” kiss. He didn’t even look back when he was walking away! Not once, not that I was hoping he would or anything.  
HALT! The gate goons’ challenge rang out. I emerge from the full dark, into the lights and the gates just swing open. The Knight in full power armor clutching the mini-gun acknowledges me with a simple “Knight”. I nod back to him and proceed into the old airport. Dogmeat knew the drill and led us up to the vertibird launch pad. He jumped up with ease and patiently waited for me to climb in. “Show off” I muttered to him, scratching his ears. His happy grin, tongue lolling out spoke volumes. He loved riding in the vertibird, even these short hops.  
The pilot mimed putting on the headphones so I grabbed the set in the back. “Welcome back Knight”, he said, “Elder Maxon has asked that you report to him ASAP upon return.” I nod and give him a thumbs up. I don’t trust my tired traitor mouth to not speak out loud that groan that’s yelling, right now, in my head. The engines fire up and we are seconds ascending. He docks and we hop off as he drops back down to the launch pad with practiced ease. I watch him land, and jump out. Oh there’s no avoiding what I have to do next, so I might as well get on with it.  
He’s waiting for me, Maxon, on the observation deck. Hands behind his back looking out the windows at the Boston shoreline. It’s still so shocking to me to see the changes, that I too stare for a bit, taking it all in. He takes my silence as courtesy, and addresses me before I have a chance to do the BOS greeting thing. I don’t think he expects the same things from me as he does from his other recruits. They were all born to his life, me? I was brought in. I’ve got lots to learn. I’m thankful he understands this, but he’s still a hard ass with me. “Knight!” he barks, I blush, embarrassed to be caught not paying attention. He see’s I’m struggling to stay awake, swaying on my feet. His face softens, well for Maxon it softens and he dismisses me. “Knight, report back to me by 0900 h tomorrow, we’ll continue our discussion then.” “Thank you Elder”, I reply groaning as I bend down to pick up my pack. I give the dog a nudge, he’s fallen asleep pancaked on the floor at our feet. He gets up with a groan as well. Maxon rolls his eyes at us and returns to overseeing his kingdom. He’s not alone for long, a Senior scribe bustles in bearing message or six needing his attention.  
I bend down and signal to the dog that we’re going up the ladder. He jumps up onto my shoulders and I stand up swaying a little. He’s not a light pup by any means, and me being exhausted does not help matters. We, or rather I climb up the ladder high enough for him to scramble off me and onto the upper level. He waits long enough for me to get my boots on the deck, then he’s begging to go find the kids. Soft whuffs, and quick tail wags are encouraging me to let him go. “Ok boy, go have some fun.” I say giving him a final head scratch. He barks once, which causes every small head in the mess to look out the door. They’re piling out as he’s running down the hallway, meeting in a noisy calamity that is shushed by every adult around them. He’s lost in the swarm, and by the time I’m halfway down the hall, they have disappeared. Head shaking in amusement, I duck into Proctor Quinlan’s office and hand over the latest technical documents I’ve recovered. There is some pretty dry reading here, I know because it’s been my only literature on this quest. Proctor Quinlan is practically buzzing to get his hands on the files so he dismisses me quickly. The cat on the desk is begging for her ears to be scratched, so I pause for the cause. I’m so very happy these lap rats have survived the changing of the world. I miss my cat keenly.  
I turn around to step into the hall and Knight Captain Cade is leaning against the door frame, waiting for me. “Knight”, he says, may I have a word with you?” I roll my eyes, it’s posed as a question, like I have a choice. I step across the hall and into his small clinic. He gestures for me to take a seat on the gurney, and when I pause he patiently reminds me that everyone on the Prydwen who is on active duty, off base must be checked over every three months. “You Knight, he says chuckling into his open file folder, have been avoiding your responsibility.” “I didn’t feel sick Cade” I reply coolly. My relationship with this man is not the best. He's always trying to wrangle blood samples from me, convinced that my pre-war DNA was some how chock-a-block with any number of prodigious cures. I had given him one round of samples the day I arrived, and had avoided him ever since. He patted the gurney’s mattress again, smiling that smug smile of his. ‘Fuck” I said to myself. I crossed the room and had to ungracefully hop my ass up on the gurney. I sat facing him, feet swinging as he advanced on me, surgical tray in hand. Yep, smug bastard was still wearing that oily smile. He set the tray down on the mattress beside me and raised his hands up to my face, out of reflex I jerked back. “Easy Knight, I’m just checking for signs of radiation sickness or disease.” he said. His hands were cold and clammy when he pressed them against my neck. He lowers his fingers, unbuckling my collar. I grab his wrist and stop him. “Knight”, he says, anger tingeing his voice and squinting his eyes. “I need to finish my examination”. I boldly push his hand away and finish the collar job myself. Those fucking clammy hands are on me again, this time they slime across my collar bones, feeling down my chest. He eventually stops, but not before he basically gropes me. I turn my head away from his face, unable to look at him and notice that the surgical tray is sporting a large number of syringes lined up precisely. He picks the first one up and without warning plunges it into the meat of my upper arm, through my jumpsuit. I’m dumbfounded! It burns so bad as it enters my system! Before I can react he’s got another syringe jabbed into my shoulder and is depressing the plunger sending something else into my body. I’m snarling in pain from the combined shots. “What the fuck Doc!” I roar. “These are standard BOS preventatives'" he replies. "Everyone knows you mingle with all types in the Commonwealth, these will keep you disease free!” he says in a superior tone. “Who knows what, or who, you do with your spare time away from the Prydwen!” He’s reaching for a third syringe when I lurch off the bed. I slap the surgical tray for good measure as I slip off the gurney, scattering the remaining, Holy Shit six more syringes! He’s sputtering and diving for his precious medicines as I stumble out of the clinic and down toward the mess hall. The door frame catches me and holds me up as my vision doubles and my head goes completely fuzzy. The world, slows down, sounds elongate, my perception is severely altered. Hey this door frame is warm! I cling desperately trying to find where I put my feet. Shucks, I slur! I can’t find them.” My head is really wobbly too, what is going on? The door frame rumbles against my ear. Oh! Thank God it’s going to hold me up, I think to myself. “Knight!” it roars at me, flashing silver in my eyes, soft silver falls on my face, mmmmm that smells nice. “I’m falling door frame!” I wail, darkness swallowing me.

Someone’s groaning, oh, wait a tic,that’s me! I’m kinda laying down, on the floor, how I got here I don’t remember. I don’t remember going up to bed, or eating! I’m so hungry! Someone is yelling, not me, cause it’s a man’s voice. A really mad man! “Back off Cade! Don’t fucking touch her!” he shouts. “She’s coming around now”, a totally different voice, a woman’s? My eyes flutter trying to open and when they finally focus, I’m staring at a black BOS uniform, or rather the chest of a black BOS uniform. Then I hear his voice, the voice I’ve wanted to hear for three long weeks. “Brandis” I croak. The noise around us drowns me out to everyone but him. His head snaps down to look at me. “Oh God! He’s angry with me!” “Oh I was right he does hate me!” Extreme sadness sweeps over me so completely I start sobbing, huge fat tears run down my face. I curl up against him and grab onto the fabric of his uniform, shaking. I can’t face his wrath, his hatred of me right now, not after waiting so long to see him! The yelling continues, my ugly sobbing continues. I’m lifted straight up off the floor and suddenly we are moving. I’m being carried! I’m in someone’s arms. Oh please, not Cade! I can’t go back there with him! I’m still crying, scared out of my mind, clinging desperately when the movement stops and we lower down. So STRONG! I’m still in their arms because they hold me tighter. I still can’t look, what if Brandis is still angry, I just couldn’t see that rage again.

"Sole, Sole, Sole," my name is being chanted slowly. Holy shit, am I being rocked? I slowly pull back from the warmth and safety of their chest and look up. I sniff and see Brandis looking down at me, his face is concerned, not mad. I reach up and touch the transformed man above me. “Oh!", I say in appreciation, still a little loopy from the combination of, whatever, I was given. “You look so nice!” My hand touches his smooth carved cheek and gently runs down his face to his neatly cropped goatee. My fingers lightly dance over the stiff facial hairs. I smile shyly at him and ask, “You’re not mat at me?” Tears threaten to spill, I’m close to crying again fearful he’ll turn me away. My hand starts to remove from his face. He gently takes my hand and places it back on his face. “No Sole, he says gently, I was not mad at you.”” You looked so angry!” I say to him, words firming up in my mouth finally. “I was, am, very angry, but not at you Sole.” His hand is still holding my hand up against his smooth warm face. He slowly smiles down at me. “Hi!” I say, drugs still buzzing inside me. “Hey there”, he replies. “Oh look, I’m in your arms again!” I say, conscious enough to blush slightly. “Yeah, you are”, he says, hitching me up a bit. “OMG!” I say, I’m too heavy aren’t I?” squirming around trying to sit up. Sole!, Sole!, he’s laughing, trying to keep a grip on me. I stop and look up at him, he’s shaking his head and chuckling softly at me. “Here let me help.” he said. Oh boy!, there’s that strength again. He just stands up with me in his arms and gently places me on the bunk beside where he was just sitting, then sits down beside me.  
“How are you feeling now?” he asks, concern tinging his voice. “Oh, um, I think I’m alright, well better?” I continue, “the room is normal colors again and my words aren’t all squishy in my mouth anymore.” He chuckles at my descriptions and stands up, offering me a hand. I take it, and he softly gasps. Oh Sole, he says as I stand, my hand in his. “Um, Brandis, I hesitantly say, my name is actually Sola.” “Sole is just a nick name I’ve had forever.” “Sola”, he says, testing the name, sounding it out, “Sola” he says again smiling. “I like it, it suits you”.

We had returned to the mess hall and were eating when the cocktail Cade pushed into me wears off. Groaning I grab my head, shut my eyes and press my forehead into the stainless steel top of the table. ‘Sola?”, he whispers my name from his side of the table. “Oh Fuuuuuck”, I groan out as the pain takes hold, throbbing with the beat of my heart. Oh goodie, nausea too! I sit there breathing, trying to not die, a cold cloth is pressed to the back of my neck making me hiss. Another is set down beside me on the table and I drag it under my forehead. I try to focus on the pain, and breathe into it like my mother taught me to. I’m dragging in and expelling air, visualizing the pain energy being changed. A hand is rubbing my back, slow and circular. It’s steady pressure and warmth help me to focus. An eternity passes, so too does the shaking, my closed eyes no longer see stars and I slowly sit up. The pain has been reduced, both cloths are at body temp now. Brandis is sitting beside me, hand moved to the back of my chair. His concerned eyes are killing me softly. I’m so fucking embarrassed, tears begin to form in the corners of my eyes. I force a smile I do not feel and ask him if he thinks less of me because of how I crashed back into his life. He reaches over and secures a stray lock of my hair behind my ear and replies in that deep sexy voice, “As long as you don’t judge me for waiting for you to return in the mess hall every single evening for the past three weeks.” And with that response, I think I could rest my mind and put our parting kiss from three weeks ago squarely in the “Oh yes" category.

It’s getting late and my day starts fairly early tomorrow. I still need to get clean, my time out in the ‘Wealth, and now this emotional break down have left me unfit for human company. The thought of using the communal shower any time before 11:00 pm is daunting. It’s literally a huge open space, lined with showers. Not shower stalls, not dividers, not even curtains! The people of the Brotherhood of Steel have no problem sharing bathing facilities, both sexes, at the same time. Yep, males and females showering in the same room, in sight of each other, next to each other, some times sharing the same shower head! I’ll never forget the first time I walked in expecting, well expecting my pre-war separate arrangements. HA! Nope! I walked in was met with a wall of washing bodies. The steam softened the scene somewhat, but I saw what I saw and backed out of the room fast. I didn’t see Paladin Danse in the doorway behind me. We had just started going out on missions together and bumping into him shirtless, on the way to the shower, with the scene in front of me had me running jack rabbit style for my bunk! I remember later that night, going past the room multiple times, waiting for it to be completely empty. It was, I found, empty around 11:00 pm, when anyone with a brain in their head was already asleep. What happened next was I set a land speed record for the fastest shower by a long haired woman – ever! Needless to say I have been either avoiding the place or exhausting myself staying up late waiting up to use the room when it was empty. The bunk I was sitting on was Brandis’, he had brought me here because it was the furthest bunk from the others and afforded the most privacy. I noticed my pack had been set on the bunk beside his. I raised my eyebrow at that. He shrugged and said the young scout who followed behind him while he carried me here had set it down there. He hadn’t given it much thought really. I reached over and looked in, all the items I had scavenged were still there. “I need to go to Proctor Teagan to get a fresh suit and trade this crap in.” I sighed and stood up. One challenge at a time Sola, i said to myself. Brandis grabbed my bag and hoisted it up on his shoulder, “After you Knight.” he said gesturing in the direction of Stores. I smiled at the Gentlemanly manor and we headed off.

Brandis held back to talk to Proctor Ingram, as I went to get my trading done with Proctor Teagan. He was, no surprise, his usual cheerful insulting self. I stepped up and placed my requests, 10 mm rounds and a fresh jumpsuit and I wanted to trade for them, with some of the items in my stash. True to his usual self, he devalued the trades, insulting me in the process, insulted my choice of weapons, and on top of it all, called me every name for fat he had in his lexicon. I hated this man. But he was the only one in that trade cage. “I need a fresh jumpsuit Proctor Teagan,” I repeated for the third time. He started in again with his usual insulting speech about how my body was shaped, what I should to do remedy it, and how often. I closed my eyes, breathing slowly and waited. I knew from experience if I interrupted him or countered or tried to defend myself this verbal diatribe would just drag on. So I didn’t hear Brandis when he stepped up behind me. Proctor Teagan saw him of course, and, smirking, thought he had a fellow in which to continue insulting me. Brandis looked at me, my eyes closed, breathing slowly and slammed his fist down on the counter. Both Proctor Teagan and I jumped. “Do. Your. Job. NOW!” Brandis uttered those 4 words with such menace. Teagan spun around and fished the jumpsuit I needed from behind the others and passed me the boxes of 10 mm ammo. I swept them off the counter and spun away, walking fast. I didn’t notice that Brandis wasn’t with me right away. When I finally did, I turned around to look for him, he was still back at the Stores, letting go of a red faced Proctor Teagan’s collar. Brandis pushed him backwards and turned on his heel, face livid. He saw me up ahead of him and stretched his legs to reach me. He grabbed my upper arm and hustled me back up to where he was bunked. He didn’t say a word the entire trip, the anger streaming off him, his face set to murder. He let go of my arm and I plunked down on the bunk opposite to his. He paced back and fourth as I unloaded my pack into the foot locker at the end of my bunk. “Please tell me that was the first time he’s treated you like that?” he asked. I didn’t bother to look up, he might see the tears threatening to spill from the corners of my eyes, again. I shook my head no instead. The neatly folded jumpsuit was the only thing in the footlocker besides my shower kit. “How often have you gone to requisition a fresh jumpsuit?” he asked quickly putting the pieces together. “Not often” was my soft reply. He paced again, anger driving him to motion, that black BOS uniform tight to his muscular frame, and, oh how it hugged that perfect ass. “You are entitled to a clean jumpsuit every day Sola”, he had stopped in front of me, kneeling to meet my eyes. Snapping back to the conversation, I filled in the details for him. “I think he hates me, my uniforms are not standard issue, because I’m, well not shaped like the rest of you.” “So when I went to get another one after a particularly hot and sweaty training day, he gave me such a hard time. I brushed it off as a one time event. Grumpy male locked in that jail basically all day. I might be snarky too. So I went back a few days later, washing the suit in the showers during the late night hours and hanging it to dry out of sight behind my bunk.” So, yeah, I don’t get a fresh one every day, or even every week because I can’t stand listening to his crap.” Brandis still kneeling in front of me was livid. “its nothing I haven’t dealt with before Brandis, it’s just more of the same really.” “Sola!” he said frustrated, ‘It’s not like that here!", he said frustrated, "He shouldn’t talk like that to you, ever!” “I know Brandis, I say sadly, I just ignore him and do my best to get the trades and requisitions done as soon as possible.” He had a really set look on his face. “Brandis, please just let it go.” I asked quietly. I knew from the look on his face that he wouldn’t. My Gentleman protector.

I sighed and looked at my Pip-boy again, 9:30 pm. Fuck. 11:00 pm would not come fast enough. I was exhausted and just wanted to get to bed. He picked up on my frustration and asked what he could do to help. “Oh I don’t know, block the doors to the shower room long enough so I can have a decent shower – alone!” I can’t, I, I just can’t be in there with all those people! He understood why, probably the only one outside the command elite who did. He didn’t laugh at me, like I thought he would. He nodded, stood up and said “Ok”, grab your kit, let’s get you that shower.”

And just like that, my Paladin blocked the door, turning away the few stragglers who showed up for a late night soap up. I stood under the hot, hot water melting in complete joy. My Pip-boy was on a chair belting out Diamond City Radio. My fingers were buried in my hair routing out the last three weeks of dirt that splash washes and rain showers couldn’t remove. This was heaven! Unthinking I sang along with the radio, feeling relaxed, warm and happy for the first time in forever. My timer cut the music off at eight minutes. Brandis had promised me ten minutes in here alone, and I was going to make sure I was ready to go when that last second ticked by. I didn’t want to leave the water, but I also didn’t want to be late. I toweled off enough to get into the fresh underwear and tank top that passed for lounge wear and sleeping gear around here, I flipped my head down, and rolled my hair long in my towel, and twisted it so it rested up and over my head. I looked in the mirror and for the first time since I stumbled into this crazy world, I looked almost normal. Pink cheeked from the hot water, hair freshly washed. This night was coming up aces! The dirty jump suit I placed in the correct laundry bin and headed for the exit. With my ten minutes up people were starting to filter in and as each one passed me, they nodded their head and said by way of greeting "SongBird”, the next did the same as she passed “SongBird”. Four or five more people passed me, each saying the same thing. I exited the room and Brandis was leaning with his back against the wall, one foot propped up under him. He looked so good leaning there. He saw me come out, towel piled on my head and gave me a “what?” kinda look. “Its a long hair thing”, I said to him, quickly followed by a heart felt “Thank you Paladin, that is the best I have felt, well since, you know.” He smiled down at me, and before he could respond I asked “SongBird?” “Yeah, I might have called you that listening to you sing while you were showering, and there may have been a few others around who heard you sing too and agreed with the name.” “Sola, he said, your voice is beautiful.” I was blushing furiously and couldn’t think of anything to say to that. My voice, beautiful? “So what do they call you?” I finally asked. “Oh, me?” he says smiling awkwardly, they call me Silver Fox.”


	6. Come Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is it getting hot in here or is it just them? Their story starts to come together, as they come together, and well, cum together. I'll stop there, enjoy!

My Pip-boy alarm is a quiet vibration on my arm at 0700 h, gently waking me. This time when I feel his arm around my waist, I’m not as startled. My heart still pounds because, well he’s here, with me, as close to me as I have wanted him, dreamed of him to be. I relax back against his chest and just revel in the moment. I don’t want to wake him, but I do need to get up. Maxon is expecting me at 0900 h, and I would like to be presentable and fed before that. I shift a little bit, and Brandis tightens his grip on my waist, one leg is flung over mine weighing me down, keeping me pinned to him.  
“Brandis”, I whisper his name, stroking his muscular arm, “Hey, Silver Fox, wake up.” I say. OH! Yup! Something’s awake! I can feel his hard length as he grinds it against my generous posterior. “Brandis!” I whisper again. “Hmmm, Sola?” he says burying his face in my long hair. “Hey, you need to wake up sleepy head!” I whisper. “No, he mumbles, “nice here.” and with that he thrusts his hips nestling that hard length in the crack of my bottom. I swear that thing is part heat seeker because it’s zeroing in on all my quickly warming places. His leg that is pinning mine, lifts off and moves back, but then he snakes it forward between my legs, and lifts my leg up so it slides down his and is now resting over his hip. I’m spread now, and on his next thrust he pulls back and bull’s eyes my core. The hand holding my waist is sliding up my rib cage fingers brushing the bottom of my breasts, when he jerks awake, again realizing the position he’s in. “Oh Sola, I’m so sorry about this!” his leg lowers mine and his hands slide back to my waist. He doesn’t move his hips back though. Not that I blame him, he’s so close to penetrating my core it’s not even funny. If it weren't for the thin fabric of the underwear we were wearing, he would be there, just the tip pushing in. We both groan, when he pulls back. I don’t know who is more surprised, him or me that I made such a sound. 

He starts again ‘Sola, I’m sorry, I know it seems like I’m taking advantage of you, but there is a very good reason you wake up with me like this. Please, tonight after your duties are done, can you spare me some time to explain?” “Like why I did what I did on the trip.” “It’s been weighing on my mind, I have wanted to talk to you so badly about it, I was hoping to do it last night, but then well you literally fell into my arms in distress.” I roll over in the tight space careful not to knee any tender places and look at him, ‘Yeah about that.” “It was Cade, he ambushed me with injections, I have no idea what he stuck me with, he just jabbed me through my suit, twice! I got away, and then I had that bad reaction.” “Brandis, I thought you were the door frame!” I smiled a little and ran my hands over that hairless chest, and said. “you were the warmest door frame”. He gave me one chuckle, and then in frustration said “Cade is such an ass, he hasn’t clear me for active duty yet!” “He won’t let me get back on patrol, or even down to the airport for sentry duty.” “I haven’t put boots on the ground since, well since the day I kissed you goodbye.” He didn’t call it the day he returned to the Brotherhood, he referred to it as the day he kissed me. “Oh”, I said, a warm feeling uncoiling in my midsection quickly spreading. His arm snaked around my waist again, and pulled me closer. “So you’ve been on the Prydwen for three weeks now? I asked, whispering because we were so close. I was pressed up against his bare chest, his heart beating strong beneath my hands, the glow from his holotags buried under my breasts. My hands lightly dance across his smooth skin again sending small shivers across all that muscle.  
“Yes”, was his monosyllabic response. I look up at him, and see his face, eyes dilated to almost a solid black, his erection is nestled against my stomach, it’s own pulse demanding attention. “Brandis?” I begin, but he cuts off my question with a soft kiss. My traitor mouth is responding before my fear filled brain tells it to run away. Not that I could run away, I’m pinned to him! That leg of his is back flinging mine over his hip again. He reaches down and draws my leg up to his waist, scooching as close to me as he can. His hot cock now laying along the length of my own hot spot. “Brandis!” I hiss, pulling back from his kiss, fear starting to override my passions. “Sola”, he murmurs, kissing me again briefly, “This is as much as I will ask.” “No more, I promise you, just this.” And he keeps his promise. His hands do not advance, his kisses remain frustratingly soft and sweet, he’s dry fucking his cock onto my pussy, but he does not reach down to slip it in, even though between my looser underwear and his thrusting he is provided many opportunities to do so. I relax into our play and enjoy the sensations he’s bringing out in me. He lives up to the name he’s earned, my Silver Fox moves his lips to my ear and whispers to me what he has dreamed of doing, how he wishes to finger the fabric of my underwear aside and slide his aching length slowly into me. How he wants to tear the tank top off of me and worship my breasts with his mouth. He wants to bury is cock so deep in me and fill me with his cum, he wants to mark my perfect skin with his teeth. He pulls me closer and kisses my neck, sucks on my ear lobe, tongues my ear and then kisses my mouth again. He has picked up the pace of his thrusting, he breaks the kiss and whispers again “Sola, Oh God, I’m cumming!” And he is, I can smell it, I can feel the wetness as his load soaks through the thin cotton layer of his underwear and mine too. I hold him while he shudders the last of his orgasm away. When he does look at me, it’s with guilty contentment. “I can’t tell you Sola, the number of times I’ve cum so hard, alone, thinking of just touching you, kissing you.” “Even just holding you like this is stirring me, making me hard again.”  
All of this has left me shaking, and not from the cold. He’s excited me, and scared me at the same time. My body doesn’t know how to handle this clash of emotions so here I lay shivering in his arms. He pulls a blanket over us and draws me closer to his heat. “Oh Sola, he says, “you’re shaking!”  
I can’t talk yet, even my teeth are chattering. The last time I felt this way was the night I lost my virginity. I was so scared then, I really liked the boy who broke my cherry, and I wanted him to want me again. This shivering I was doing now, was just like that. OMG!, realization hit me, I like this man! I really have strong feelings for him. “Brandis”, I finally try to speak through my chattering teeth, “I, I, I’m so, sorry!” I shudder out. “Sola, No!” he says, “Don’t apologize! I should be the one to apologize!” “Here I am taking advantage of you, again when I know what life was like for you before.” “But Brandis!”, I say placing a finger on his lips interrupting his apology, “I’m trying to tell you something, please just listen”. He did, his eyes on me, arm holding tight. “I, ah, I really like this.” “I really like waking up with, ah, with you, like this.” “I feel so safe, here. With you I feel like I can finally sleep without fear.” “Sola” he whispered my name as he kissed my forehead, you can have this any time you want it.” “Any time.”

We were laying there enjoying quiet company when the Pip-boy vibrates my back up alarm on my arm. It’s 0730 h now. We untangle ourselves giggling quietly as we do. His thick member is pressed against me as he climbs over, and I might have grabbed his bottom as he passed. Such a lovely ass! He quickly ditches his gitch, going commando under his jumpsuit. I do turn around, but only after a quick ogle (can you blame me really???). I grab my fresh Jumpsuit out of the foot locker and climb in, my tank top and underwear still on. When I’m dressed, he offers his hand to me again and I take it and we set out for the Mess. On the way there we pass a hallway that is darker than any other. It runs off to the side of the Mess hall and I notice there are light bulbs missing from the fixtures. I don’t pay much attention to it because my stomach takes the opportunity to growl. Brandis laughs at me and we form up in line behind the others. He’s the proper Paladin, only touching me when it’s appropriate to do so, which is not enough in my books. We grab our trays, and squeeze in at the end of a busy table. Everyone is about to report for the morning shift and we are all eating with the same alacrity and lack of grace. The food is, well it’s warm, and the coffee is passable. It’s the company, I keep that makes this meal tolerable. It’s 0830 h now, and I need to report in a half an hour. Brandis is sitting across from me, wiping his meticulously clean face with a napkin. The Fox, missed nothing and saw me check my Pip-boy. “Almost time to report?” he asks over the din in the room. I nod my head yes. ‘We have to finish my report, that I rudely interrupted by falling asleep on my feet.” I say to him grinning. He just shook his head at me. “You should go now, and freshen up, it’s always good to be early for these things” he tells me wisely. I stand and make to grab my tray, he shakes his head. “I’ll take care of this, you head out”, “Ok Brandis, I say quiet enough only he can hear me. “I have no idea how long this meeting will be, but I’ll come find you after, even if I’m being sent out again.” “Thank you Knight” is all he replies with a small smile.

I freshened up quickly and presented myself to the observation deck about ten minutes early, hoping to get a head start on the meeting. Maxon was not there yet. So I stood at, what I hoped was a passable version of “ease” in front of one of the windows and took a good look at the vista before me. So much to rebuild, but so much had survived as well. I sighed and looked at my Pip-boy. So many requests for help were listed here, some I had yet to even start. I flicked down the list and groaned. That damn Blake Abernathy had put a call in for Minutemen assistance again. That man sent out creepy vibes every time I stopped by to answer another of his calls. He was just a little too friendly, a little to eager to to trade with me. He set my back teeth on edge, standing way too close to me, even when his wife was around. I truly hoped Preston would send someone else out there, but it was inevitable that I would eventually be going out there at some point in time.

Hard boot heels striking the deck was my only head’s up that Maxon was here. A terse “Knight” by way of greeting. Maxon powered into the room, perfectly dressed, hair immaculate, facial hair perfectly groomed. I wondered if he kept a barber in his rooms for personal grooming purposes. “Elder” I replied, nodding to the leader of the Brotherhood. “I trust you slept well Knight?” he asked. I as usual totally misunderstood his question as just a leaders’ concern, and replied that I was indeed well rested. He nodded and replied, “Good, then we will make those arrangements your permanent quarters.” It took me a few moments for it to sink in, and when it all clicked in my head I couldn’t contain the shock, my eyebrows shot up and I stammered out a “Whaaaa?” a half formed question in my confused head. “Your bunk, that you slept in last night", he said as though speaking to a younger person, “That will be the space assigned to you." "All senior staff have the right to their own sleeping space." “We’ll make sure a few amenities are shuffled over from stores." "A cabinet, a larger footlocker.” “A reading lamp?” I asked without thinking, my brain still spinning. “We’ll see Knight.” was his terse reply. “Thank you Elder Maxon” I replied and attempted to salute. Still a little sloppy, but I did try! “Now Knight, Report.” And so I did, I brought him up to speed on the infected locations I had found on my crossing of the ‘Wealth. I discussed the possible locations for the Scribes to collect tech and I even found a few good places to take the Squires for field experience. We spoke at length about the missions he had assigned me personally and since my progression was not to his satisfaction I was reprimanded with more work. I was being assigned to R&D under Proctor Quinlan, where I would spend at least 3 hours of my day down in the Supply Depot using my pre-war life experience to help identify the mountains of tech that the Scribes could not figure out. I was to report after lunch to Proctor Quinlan for further instructions. On cue, my stomach growled, loudly. I stood at attention, trying to ignore the rude noise. He glared at me and said, “Dismissed SongBird.” I saluted again and left. I couldn’t believe we had been talking for three hours. I realized it was not just hunger that dominated, but also thirst. My stomach chimed in again, it was time to go to the Mess and eat. I needed to find Brandis first. I entered the mess hall and there he was, standing at ease, eyes locked on me. I smiled when I saw him and walked over. “Paladin”, I said by way of greeting. “Knight” was his reply. The opera singer in my stomach chose that moment to go for a lusty high C solo. “Hungry Knight?” he asked, smiling at my embarrassed face. I gave him a look and went to stand in line for some lunch. We snagged trays of, big surprise, the same stuff we had at breakfast and sat down to eat. We concentrated on our plates finishing the food before it cooled into something inedible. When we had both finished, we stacked the trays in the centre of the table. I let Brandis know I would be around for a bit as I had been assigned to R&D. His eyebrows rose when I told him that. “That’s impressive Knight.” was his response. “Maxon seems to think that my “unique upbringing” might be invaluable to the cause in identifying the apparently warehouses filled with items the scribes have hauled back.” Brandis nodded his head, “Wise move, with your first hand experience there may be items that will help us here in the Prydwen, or repair what’s needing fixing around here.” “When do you report Knight?” he asked, twisting his napkin around his fingers. “Right after lunch, I’m to report to Proctor Quinlan in his office.” I reply. “So you start today?” “That’s great Knight!” he said excited for me. There was another decision made by Maxon, I started to say. “It’s, aaah, it’s about, ah, where I’m bunking from now on.” His smile dropped slightly, and he sat up straighter. “Oh?” he replied, ‘What, or rather where will you be assigned?” he asked as hesitantly as I began. “Maxon says, that since I had a good night’s sleep last night, I’m to remain bunked where I am.” Brandis sat much straighter and his smile returned. He reached across the table to take my hand in his and replied, “Ok Knight,” he said. “I hope this is alright with you Brandis?” Hey, when did my heart suddenly start pounding so hard? I was blushing furiously too, I suddenly couldn’t look at him! He squeezed my hand getting my attention back on his eyes. “Yes Sola”, he said quietly using my real name, “Yes it is.” Um, OK, there’s one more thing, maybe I’m reading too much into it, but, well, when Maxon dismissed me, he called me “SongBird.” “He did, did he?” Brandis said, sitting back a bit, his face a little unreadable. “Paladin, how would he know that name for me, when you just gave it to me last night?” I asked confused, and a bit concerned about it’s use. “Well Sola”, he began, it would appear that he’s watching you, closely, having your movements reported back to him.” “I think he wanted you to know.” he said. “You must be important to some integral plans to rate that kind of surveillance.” I closed my eyes and tried to take it all in. I squeezed Brandis’ hand and asked him if this was a deal breaker for him. I told him I could totally understand if he didn’t want to be a part of this anymore. I didn’t get anything else out. He just stood up and walked around to my side of the table. He tugged me to my feet and whisked me out the now empty mess hall and into that darkened walkway. He led me deeper into the darkness, stopped and backed me up against the wall. “I hope this answers your question Sola”, he said, voice husky, hands on my face, mouth falling onto mine. I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck as he intensifies the kiss, our tongues dancing mouths moving. My head is spinning from the swift emotional change from fear to Fuck Yeah!  
His hands travel down my ribs to my waist. He keeps up the descending passage until he reaches my ass. His hands roam that generous landscape making him groan in my mouth in frustration. The difference in our heights has him bowed away from me. So I take one hand down from his neck and encourage him to lift my leg up. He gets the message really fast and employs that amazing strength, lifting one, then the other leg, bending them around that trim waist of his. I lock my ankles behind his back. He grins against my mouth and whispers “Naughty Knight.” He hitches me up a bit higher on the wall and grinds his cock against my quickly heating core. I draw him back down to continue our kiss as his hands reach down to my ass again. His cock is rock hard and he’s dry fucking my slice, rubbing my sensitive clit as he presses his length against me. I look up at the missing light bulbs and wonder if maybe it’s on purpose? A dark warm spot to make out on the Prydwen?  
“Oh Sola!” he whispers in my ear. “You undo me!”, “I’m so close, so close. He’s shaking with the effort to keep me up and at the same time grinding against me. I suck his bottom lip, and whisper that he feels so damn good. I lace my fingers in his hair and say “Cum for me Silver Fox”. He grunts, and thrusts hard, grunts again and pants out “Always, Always” between his hard thrusts.  
I unhook my legs and find the floor. His head is on my shoulder, he’s breathing hard. I can imagine the inside of that black BOS suit is a royal fucking mess. I know mine’s not pristine, I’m so wet. My Pip-boy reminder pops on and lights up the darkness. I’m due in R&D in 10 minutes.  
“Shit,” I whisper, tapping the OK button, dimming the screen, but not before I see him stand up and look down at me. “Hey”, I say touching his smiling face, his breathing is back under control now. “I need to get going, or I’m going to be late.” I say reluctant to leave him here, destroyed as he is. He slowly stands up, adjusts his uniform to accommodate his visibly large erection and stretches out his hand to me. “I’ll walk you there”, he says still smiling. I take his hand, and again he intakes his breath, like it’s a pleasant surprise that I do. We leave the darkened hallway through the now busier Mess hall and down to Proctor Quinlan’s office. Just outside the door he stops me and before he lets my hand go he reminds me that he would like some of my time tonight. I look up at him and smile. “Yes Paladin, I could meet with you.” I reply. He lets my hand go, salutes me. I return the gesture and he neatly about faces and walks back into the mess. I don’t wait to see where he goes, but turn around and get ready to go into Proctor Quinlan’s office. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Captain Cade leaning against the doorway of his clinic. Protocol demanded that I acknowledged him. So I did, with a cool nod. The oily bastard smiled at me, arms crossed in front of his chest, syringe poised in his upper hand. I shuddered and ducked quickly into Proctor Quinlan’s office to get out of his sight.

Proctor Quinlan kept it short and sweet, I was to report to Knight Sargent Gavil in the Supply Depot on the ground. From there I would lead a team of three Scribes and try to identify and catalogue the massive stock pile of tech the Scribes kept bringing back with them on their missions. He made it quite clear that he had doubts about my expertise due to my civilian background, and warned me that if I was wasting anyone’s time he would see to it I was severely reprimanded. I stood at attention until I was dismissed. My past was not up for discussion. Proctor Quinlan gave me a small box and said that this was from Elder Maxon. When I cracked the box, I could see a glow on the inside. Holy shit, holotags.  
I read the information on the tag and was surprised to see my full name engraved there. It was not something I had seen in a long time, I found it a bit unsettling. At the bottom of the tags, centred was the nickname Brandis had given me, “SongBird”. I pulled the tags out of the box and slipped the chain over my head. They rattled together softly when I let them go, swinging just past the curve of my bosom. Proctor Quinlan’s eyes are on, well, my tags. So I turn around and quickly stuff them down past my collar, I can feel them slithering under my tank top between my breasts. Since I’ve been dismissed I make tracks out the door for R&D.

Knight Sargent Gavil remembers me from when I solved the disappearing supplies case. He’s not happy that I am diverting three of his Scribes to catalogue tech that they have deemed useless, but since the orders come from Maxon himself, he’s going to make it happen. I schooled my face to a deadpan stare and when he was done complaining I followed him to where my new work area would be.  
The three lounging scribes stood at attention when they saw us approach. KS Gavil did not linger after introductions were made. I took one look at the work area, and shook my head. I think Scribes, I said to the triumvirate staring at me, that we should begin with a little electrical project. Grins all round, and one even rubbed her hands together. 

My Pip-Boy alarm went off on my arm, signalling the end of the work day. We were all filthy from crawling around to find the parts we needed to get our first project completed. The space they had given us was great, but the lack of work benches, and lighting was abysmal. So we took the time to plan the layout. The light from my Pip-boy and the one bulb hanging over the one work bench was how we started our day. Three hours later we had benches built, and lighting enough to work comfortably by. We closed the gate behind us, the Scribes following protocol by locking them as we passed through them. Until tomorrow, I said to them. They all smiled and nodded, I could see their excitement about the next projects we would be working on.

I had that good tired muscle feeling, where you’ve worked hard, and you can feel it, but it feels good. It was supper time, and the vertibird pilot had us up to the Prydwen in no time. He was waiting for me, my black clad BOS officer, standing still, at ease, arms behind his back. He was watching down the long hall, eyes locked onto mine as I made my tired way to the Mess. “Knight”, he said, in his familiar greeting. “Paladin”, I replied mine. We grabbed trays and sat down to eat. Well I flopped down sighing. “Shift went well?” he asked companionably. I launched into a retelling of the adventures of wiring with 200+ year old parts. I’m sure I bored him with my technical details, but he was a good listener. He reached over at one point and removed something from my nose. I just laughed and shook my head. The noise of the Mess had become so loud it was impossible to have a good conversation. The group next to us was going on about the increased sightings of ferals along the perimeter fences. That was nothing new, the BOS had been routinely cleaning them out for some time now. The ‘Wealth seemed to have a never ending supply of them. We had both polished off our trays and finished our coffee, so we cleaned up and cleared the way for two more people to sit down. Our trays returned he reached out for my hand again, was there a pause in the conversation in the room when I took it? I must have been mistaken. The buzz increases in volume when we leave. Up the stairs and across the Prydwen’s sleeping area to the furthest, wait, what’s this? The space was completely changed. The two single beds had been pushed together and were kitted out in larger blankets. They were now sitting on top of a rug that covered the cold deck. There were night tables on either side, and one had a reading lamp! There were two lager foot lockers at the end of each of the beds. Big enough to sit on. We both stood there dumbfounded. Judging from his reaction he had no idea that these changes were made either. “Holy shit Brandis,” I say. “What the hell?” Brandis takes a moment to reply, “Maxon’s orders, you told me yourself that he said he would make the arrangement more permanent, well here is his word made good.” “Sola, if you don’t want me to sleep, like that, or if you need to be alone, that’s ok.” “I’ll understand and I’ll go elsewhere.” I shake my head looking at the very homey scene. Flash backs of my room with Nick are threatening to grind me down. My eyes can’t seem to let go of what Maxon has created here for me. I squeeze Brandis’ hand and ask if we can go elsewhere for that talk he wanted to have. “I have a great place in mind, he says perking up.” “C’mon, Sola, I think what I have to say will help clarify, well many things for you. I nod my head and with a lead on gesture, the SongBird followed her Silver Fox.


	7. Clarity for Two.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarity is so important in any relationship, and Brandis wants Sola to know why. There are lots of why's he needs her to know about. Her Pre-War upbringing has shackled her with some thick blinders that need to come off if she is going to know how to understand this new world she lives in.

Since he can’t leave the Prydwen I wonder just where we can go to have a private conversation. We leave the living quarters and head down through the mess to the ladder and descend to the observation deck level. We exit the door to the outside there and after nodding to the Knight on duty we dash down the stairs and across the flight deck to the other side to avoid the sheeting rain. There is an abandoned office of some kind overlooking the docking stations. It’s here he leads me. I vaguely remember this place from my first day on the Prydwen. I may or may not have looted the crates in this place. Ok, I totally looted the crates. It’s full dark now, and he leads me to the front of the room, guided by the light of the flight deck below.  
The room still looked like a half assed attempt to be a storage area. Brandis was obviously familiar with the place. He pointed to two crates pushed beside each other against the wall near the windows and asked me to have a seat. He then opened a few crates and fished out two lanterns and a full day pack that were tucked away inside. He lit the lanterns and placed them on either side of us, then from the pack he brought out a blanket for me. He held it open and wrapped it around my shoulders, “I know how much you hate the cold”. Was all he said. The pack contained among other things a water bottle that he just sat on the floor between us. With that done he set the pack aside and turned to face me, he took one of my hands in his and started talking.

“Sola, I’m hoping what I have to tell you, helps you to understand why, well, why things have happened and are happening as they are. Just hear me out?,” he asked me with pleading eyes. 

“When you walked through the bunker door that first time I saw you, and you said you were from the Brotherhood, I knew just by looking at you that you weren’t BOS born. No one from any of the major lines is shaped like you are. You are short, taller than our scouts yes, but not adult BOS tall. And those curves! Most females are long and lean by the time they reach active service. You were soft – admittedly in all the right places – but at the time you came into the bunker I couldn’t believe you were BOS. Even the way you were wearing your jumpsuit was unbelievable. The top rolled down to your waist, a tank top and the legs rolled up past your calves! Unheard of! That’s why you had a hard time convincing me to return. That’s why I flung so many questions and so many doubts at you. I just couldn’t believe you were from the Brotherhood, but I desperately wanted to believe that you were.  
And after you convinced me to come back, you said you wanted to cross the ‘Wealth with me. We fought again. I knew I would go back, but just not right away, I wanted time you see to, well I don’t really know what, hide a little more, pack slowly, dither? Your argument’s points all made sense and eventually I conceded. You wisely hustled me out of there that very day. You had given me much to contemplate. A lone BOS member on a mission? Unheard of! And your body! I couldn’t reconcile that you were BOS with that, well that very ample ass stuffed into your jumpsuit. I let you walk point not only because you knew where you were going, but to be honest because I was starting to enjoy the view.

I was more convinced of how BOS-like you were when the rad stag popped up. Your weapon was not. Your skill with the weapon though was on point. Calm, smooth and accurate. That takes training. The reaction you had to seeing me topless when I was gutting the stag and how you stared at my physique was not a BOS reaction. No female BOS member would blush from 10 feet away. She would have joined me at the carcass and, well, it would have been a different result. So I was again confused. I knew you liked what you saw, the way you stared at me blushing said as much.” Brandis smiled at me when saying this, he began unconsciously rubbing his thumb on my hand as he continued to speak.

“At Greentop Nursery you let the people believe I took down the rad stag alone.” “Most BOS members would have been bragging out loud, you did not.” “You also dug into your pack and dropped most of the bunkers’ items off with the settlers.” “The items made it into individual hands, each person you named and smiled and conversed with them.” “That is not the BOS way.”I had pegged you as greedy, taking everything not nailed down before we left that bunker, but here you were handing it all out without a second though. “I kept quiet, observing because this was obviously a community you had helped to shape. The questions they had for you around the fire about structure and defenses, the frank admiration and oh the food! Living in that bunker the food situation was, bleak. That really was the best bowl of rad stag stew this side of the Charles River! I could see that you were a selfless person, not the greedy taker I thought you were from my bunker. Even the dog was fussed over, petted and coddled by everyone.  
Night fell and the talk around the campfire happened. I knew you knew my story, but I felt and obligation to these people to share something, so my awkward retelling of my painful events happened. Your hand on my arm, helped to ground me. So when I stood, holding your hand I thought I was indicating to you something deeper. But again you didn’t respond in BOS fashion. You offered me my own private quarters, when I thought that we would, again it does not matter now. So we ended up in the main bunk room because one bed across from you was better than separated.

It was in the middle of the night, the darkest hour that I was awoken by a scuff on the floor. Not an unusual sound in a shared room like this, but something about it woke me. I could barely see a shadow standing over your sleeping form. I grabbed the knife in my boot and jumped over your bunk and had the shadow pressed up against the shack wall, knife to it’s, her, throat. I didn’t even have to threaten or press any harder with the blade, she was already quietly babbling. When she was done talking, I dismissed her back to her own bed.

Sola, you had saved them, all of them by making this place what it was. They all knew that night time was hard for you, but not why. Every settler at Greentop knew that when you slept, night terrors were not far behind. So they all took turns in shifts to have someone there to touch you. Somehow a simple hand on your shoulder kept your demons at bay and you could sleep. In the time it took that female settler to tell me all of this you had begun to thrash your legs, scissoring them under the blankets. Your breathing was erratic and small gasps and moans of terror were starting. I put my hand on your shoulder, not really believing it could be that easy, and you started to calm down right away. That’s why I moved our beds together, that’s why you woke up with me two feet from you, hand reaching over. I had fully intended to stay awake to make sure you would be OK, but you were, as long as I maintained contact. I just hoped that my being here, like this would not scare you. I was beginning to see at that time that you were civilian before BOS. It was rare we welcomed outsiders into our ranks, but apparently it had happened.  
The farm we stopped at where you traded with the locals had your handiwork written all over it as well. Again you were greeted by name, again the dog was happily fussed over. We didn’t stay long there, but I left that farm in good spirits. I had seen the way you were sneaking glances at me and how you blushed furiously when one female settler asked how long we had been paired. Your mumbled response was lost to the cacophony around us.

And at the Array, just knowing you would come back with me and clean the place out. I knew you were BOS then.

Brandis takes a break to sip some water, this is the most I have ever heard him speak since our time together in the bolt hole under the bus. I blush thinking about it. Ever observant he puts the canteen down with a knowing smile and says, “You’re thinking about that bus, aren’t you?” He’s not wrong.

“Yeah, about that,” he says, his turn to blush now. “I was still trying to decide if you were more civi or if you had been BOS born.” “My time with you under that bus, with the rad storm raging over head was clarifying.” “I lost it, when I couldn’t hear you at the top of the tunnel, I just lost it. I was screaming for you, over and over. Then I heard you call back and the overwhelming relief I felt was completely life changing. I knew right then that if anything had happened to you I would not have recovered. Then you wanted me to pull you down the tunnel and I did. You slid down so fast, landing in my lap was just a bonus. Pulling you up to sitting as I did was supposed to be my way of, well of telling you that, again it doesn’t matter now, because I took one look at your cut palms and we had to take care of that. Then you started to shiver and my next thought was to get you changed out of your soaking wet uniform. And then that damn vault suit slithered out of your bag and across the space between us.  
All my questions about you and your possible BOS origins were answered. I have never been more surprised as I was right then. There you were sitting in my lap, bandaged hands whispering against that vault suit as you nervously played with the cuff. So I asked if it was yours or if you had by chance looted it, already knowing the answer. All the signs were there, I just kept trying to force myself to see you as BOS, when I should have, well again, it doesn’t matter now.

So clarity being all that it is, I now understood why you didn’t react to any of my physical invitations, why you could sit in my lap and not know how strong my desire was for you. How earlier when I stood with my hand in yours at the campfire, I was showing everyone that I was with you. Everyone knows that females lead in these matters, but sometimes we males need to make our interest clear. When you talked about your pre-war upbringing, about the social demands, the stigmatizing, and the double standards that women lived with and in general how you were treated it hit me like, well like a rad storms’ lightening bolt. Everything I did to let you know that I was (I still am) attracted to you, everything I did was another action, another thing to make you uncomfortable. You kept your distance from me, not because you weren’t attracted to me, quite to the contrary, you kept your space because of the social demands of your upbringing.  
I remember after our long talk, I put it all together and realized that keeping you sitting in my lap was exactly the situation that, in your time, you were taught to avoid. It was something paired couples did. And you had just told me about your murdered spouse and stolen child. Sola, I felt so lecherous and that’s why I lowered my arms and gave you the space to leave. 

I was mad at myself for not reading the signs better, but with a lifetime of BOS females as my only guide, I really had no frame of reference for, well for you. I berated myself, and told myself I could do, would do better. You saved me, you showed me that I could care again, that I wanted to care again. It meant the world to me to express that back to you, but the ways I knew how were completely opposite to what you needed. I was staring to panic a little, this was not a situation I was used to finding myself in.  
I was snapped out of my thinking when the vault suit started to slither almost from my lap. I grabbed the leg cuff like a lifeline. I was drowning in fear that I had somehow driven you away fro me with the way I held you while we talked. I looked at you sitting there, soaking wet and shivering and I did something I would never have done in mixed BOS company. I turned around and gave you what privacy I could. My heart was hammering, and my head was spinning, I was still trying to digest what you had shared with me. You were alive when the bombs dropped! You knew the world before, and all that crap what you had gone through since then! 

But then you whispered my name, you needed my help, for a zipper yes, but you still asked. Hope flared in my chest. I knew I hadn’t lost you. You could easily have just cut the damn jumpsuit off, but you asked for help. And for the first time in my life, I thanked the worst zippers ever designed for their timely jam. It was, as far as jams go, a good one, completely snarled. I asked your permission before reaching in to dislodge it. When my hand slid down your skin, it was a fucking revelation. So smooth, so soft. I gloried in the absolute perfection as I unzipped, doing exactly what I just said I wouldn’t do. I reached the bottom and with more discipline than I knew I possessed I turned back around again. My mind spinning as it started to conclude that you were indeed a Vault Dweller, that you were 210 years frozen – literally a woman out of time.

Your hand on my shoulder completely startled me. I thought for sure my trip down your back would be enough to keep you away. I was so relieved to feel your hand resting there, however briefly.  
Then it was time to sleep. The storm was going no where, and the awkward silence between us had finally be broken by the dog. So I stretched out on half of the mattress and put my back to yours. You fussed, and tried to get comfortable without touching me for so long. Then you tentatively pressed your back to mine and fell asleep almost right away. It was not long before you started to thrash. It was so bad the dog was whining. I turned over so I was facing your back and put my hand on your shoulder. You were not calmed by that alone tonight. I feared our talk may have really brought to the fore emotions that you had worked very hard to bury. I boldly put my arm around your waist and dragged you back against me so I could curl around you. And still you shivered and thrashed. So I threw my leg over yours and waited to see if this would help. The dog whined again and I patted the mattress in front of you. He got up and curled up against your midsection. That seemed to do it. You stopped thrashing first, then your shaking slowed and eventually you let out a huge sigh and relaxed back against me. Dogmeat sighed as well and both of you seemed to slip into sleep so fast after that. I was too worked up to sleep. The storm raging overhead was no match for what was going on inside me. My head was spinning because I knew this was going to cause problems in the morning when you woke, but at the same time I really liked how this felt. Really. Every breath in I could smell you, my hand was around your small waist and my leg pressed over yours. You were deliciously pinned against me, that round bottom of yours!  
Brandis! I exclaimed, snapping him back to the present, blushing again. “Sola, he said, you have no idea what it was like to have been alone for so long, and to then suddenly have this, lush beautiful woman pressed against you. I was so keyed up, I have no idea how I fell asleep. I, ah, I dreamed a vivid dream, and it was the major reason you felt, and ah, that you had my erect self end up where it was whe you woke up. He paused in his story telling. Focusing on his thumb slowly rubbing the back of my hand.  
“Are you going to tell me the dream?” I ask him, my curiosity piqued. “You really want to know?” he asks a little incredulous. “I think I do”, I say to him. I curl my hand a little tighter around his, he seems to flow a little closer to me. “Brandis, what if I promise to tell you about any really good dreams I have in the future?”, I say desperate to know what this dream was about. “Well, alright he says blushing furiously, but just remember, you asked to hear it.”

I reached down between our sweaty entangled bodies and gave that round arse a firm smack. We were laying on our sides, quite like how we were positioned under the bus. You arched your back which drove that backside up against me in surprise. My ready cock was poised at your entrance and I slid slowly and deliciously into your tight wet core. I filled you to the hilt, arching your back again lifting those beautiful breasts of yours that overfilled my hands. I slowly begin drawing my cock out, I can feel your core clenching at me. We both gasp at the tight feeling. I thrust my hips forward and drive my cock in deep. Aaaaah! You sigh, liking how I unexpectedly filled you again. I pull my cock back this time again, almost withdrawing and slowly enter you again. You are writhing beneath me, my pace is frustrating you. I find the place between the folds of your sex and my questing fingers stroke your clit. You’re breathing hard, starting to shake beneath me as I pull my cock back again ready to pick up the pace.

He stops telling me the dream right there. My physical reaction is unbelievable, I can feel my core tighten and stretch, I’m actually wet! My brain is on overload, physical sensations ampping up the emotional ones I’m trying to process. Everything he has told me up to this point is for me, like our conversation under the bus was for him, clarifying. 

I look at him, sitting there, fear on his face that he’s telling me something that will drive me away from him. I ask, “So when I fall asleep at night, you basically hold me together until I wake up again?” “When you have needed it, yes I was there.” he said. “So how many nights did I need it that we were together?” I asked. “Every one” was his whispered reply. “And since I’ve returned to the Prydwen, that’s the reason that I wake up with you basically wrapped around me?”I asked. “Yes Sola” is his simple reply.

I stand up, breaking contact with his hand and start to pace back and fourth in the cramped space. I’m so flabbergasted, and excited and overwhelmed right now. I thought the complete opposite! I thought it was him who was seeking to connect after so long alone! I thought, I thought. I tripped over an unseen ammo crate in the dark and fell flat on my face. Graceful to the core. “Sola!” he says concern tinging his voice, at my side in seconds. I’m flailing because the blanket has me trapped. He’s laughing trying to untangle me, I’m angry and embarrassed. It’s not my best moment. He pins me down and silences my building anger with a kiss. It’s just a graze of his lips over mine, a question really. I answer, him, kissing him back. “Oh Sola” he whispers pulling back. I’m a frustrated burrito on the floor, wriggling wanting more. He helps to untangle me and spreads out the blanket. He reaches for the pack and brings out some snacks. “I have more to tell you Sola,” Please sit with me.  
I do sitting cross legged across from him. His long arm reaches over to the closest lantern and he sets it closer to us so we can see each other. He hands me a portion of mutefruit and starts to talk again.  
I jerked awake, and my cock was pressed so hard into the crack of your ass I thought I was going to rip through both suits. I was, I admit, imitating the motions of my dream. So when I woke, I froze, which happened to be mid thrust, where I was burying my hard, well you remember. My heart was hammering with a mix of pure lust and absolute fear that I had screwed up – again!-. Sure enough, you woke up. I didn’t move because I had kinda hoped it might progress into something more, but it was completely up to you. My traitor cock kept throbbing against you and between my jumpsuit and that scandalous vault suit you felt everything. All of it.  
It takes every ounce of my self control to keep still, to relax the grip I’ve maintained to keep you calm so you can sleep. You don’t meet my eyes, and you rush to pack up. The Pip-boy light is bright enough I can see you are blushing furiously. I wondered if maybe I had flustered you, and a small part of me rejoiced that maybe, just maybe you liked it a little bit. Hope is such a wonderful thing.  
You crawled out the tunnel and I was more than happy to stay back to watch that plump ass of yours. Never get rid of that Vault Suit!  
Before I knew it I was being hauled up out of the little bolt-hole. I knew you were strong, but this just showed it. I had to let my eyes adjust to the sunlight. I remember squinting down at you and you touching my face. The snap of electricity I felt at your touch! I heard you gasp, so I assumed you felt it too. I could feel that spot where you touched me buzzing on my face for hours afterwards. I let you take point again, the show was even better with your vault suit on.

Blushing I hesitantly ask, “So, you keep saying that it’s my choice Brandis, that it’s always the choice of the female?” “That’s because it is Sola.” he says to me. In the Brotherhood, women are the ones who pick who they want to father their children. Everyone is expected to contribute otherwise how to do we move forward? If no one works to defend the wall, then eventually we will all be overrun. If no one were to prepare the food, we would all starve. Same goes for our population. We rarely bring in outsiders. Our numbers come from the very people who live and work here. Everyone is expected to contribute to increasing the population. It’s not enforced, but it is a point of honour. 

He lays down on his back, arms behind his head, legs crossed, I skooch closer to him and smiling he continues his side of the story.

We finished off the bugs at Revere Beach, and your face was hilarious as you watched Dogmeat eat the bug carcasses. I probably shouldn’t have laughed, but I couldn’t help it. You were amazing taking them down though. No shots wasted, efficient and methodical. You stayed by me and never once crossed into my line of fire. Afterwards you smelled of gunpowder and ozone. My heart was beating a bit faster when I tucked that strand of hair back behind your ear. It was the first time I had noticed just how long your hair was. No BOS woman could tolerate hair that long, but also, no one in this day and age had hair that long period. I suddenly wanted to run my hands through it, to feel it flowing through my fingers. I wanted to tug it during some rough play, have you drag it over me, that’s when I knew I was a goner. Up to that point I had never even fathomed that a man could fall for just one woman. It wasn’t in the culture, but here I was living proof that a heart can want only one.

“Brandis?” I interrupted him. “It’s ok, Sola,” he said to me. “I’m not putting any pressure on you, but you need to understand what these feelings I have for you means in this day and age. In your time, pairing off was done all the time. It was beneficial. In our time, it makes no sense. A woman has a better chance of conceiving if she takes on multiple partners. The levels of radiation we face daily already reduces our chances, so why would you limit your pairings to just one? If you partnered with one man, and he was infertile, then you would spend your life without offspring. That is a wasted paring. So the culture frowns on it.  
“So practical,” I say to him. “No Sola, it’s survival.” We had to change a lot of the old ways after the bombs dropped. “Our history is thick with mistakes that cost us lives.”he says. 

He sat back up and beckoned me closer, he could see I was cold and with the blanket on the floor I was starting to shiver a little. Though in truth it may also have been from everything I was feeling as well. I was learning so much tonight, so many things made so much more sense now. He pulled me up against him as he sat, back propped up against one of the crates. His arm around me, I pressed up against his side. I shivered slightly his warmth seeping into me.

“I think the diner is next I prompted him,” my arm sliding across his stomach as I settled in.  
“Oh that diner?” he asked playfully. “Yeah, I could see the Prydwen’s silhouette in the distance and I knew that our time alone together was coming to an end. I was desperate to slow things down. I really just wanted to spend another night somewhere with you in a cramped spot again, but I knew that was unlikely. So I delayed how I could and diverted us to the diner so we could check our already pristine weapons. And then you spilled the water down your top. And then I reacted the way I did. I wanted to lick the water from places further south, but the dog interrupted us. I thought for sure he was going to rip my face off. I’ve been close to angry animals before but he was really making it seem personal! Then he jumped over me and flushed out that raider. What a dog! I went into full defence mode. No one was going to touch you! Your shoulder provided the best rest for my gun. You didn’t even flinch! And not only that you had your weapon out on the level ready to fire. I know if I had missed the shot you would have made it for sure. I didn’t think it was possible to crush on someone harder, but you had me completely wrapped.  
The next raider took care of himself and I smirked when I heard your quite evil snicker when he went down. He was dying and when I dispatched him with a quick slice to the neck you again, didn’t even flinch. “Brandis, its not the first time I’ve seen knives end lives.” He hugged me to him by way of response and continued. “You picked them clean and stashed items in your bag, the dog’s pack and even my pockets, I can’t remember what you put in them, but feeling your warm hands against the thinner fabric of the pockets had me shivering.

Sneaking past he ‘Downs was eye opening. The noise from that place alone provided enough cover for us. The stench was an indication that the population therein was dense. There was no way we two could have cleared that out. That would take a combination air and ground assault. You wisely guided us past them. 

The stop at the container yard where we ultimately parted ways is not my favourite part of our trip. Your reasons for me returning alone to the Brotherhood were sound, and only a fool could argue them. But you see, by then, I was a fool, who didn’t want to be parted from you.  
The note we found on the raiders and the search for the cache was fun. Seeing you bend over rooting around was stirring. If I haven’t told you yet, never get rid of that Vault Suit. For reasons. “He said this squirming, slightly adjusting himself.  
Your long braid swung across your back as you turned your head looking for clues. We did find it, and with it a whole lot of questions. It was a cache of BOS siphoned goods, uniforms of various ranks included. It was, in the end the very best thing that we found it. This would be part of my return to the fold.  
Resigned to it now, I let you fuss over the holo tags. It hurt to have them out in plain sight. Their collection a softly glowing admission of my failure as a commander. You lay them into a fan across my chest, your hands lingering on me, smoothing the fabric of my uniform. Your touch made me tremble slightly, I really didn’t want to leave you. I bent my head down and when you looked up at me I kissed your lips. My soft touch hopefully expressing to you everything I couldn’t say. You weren’t expecting the kiss, but you also didn’t pull away. And when we parted I saw your upturned face, eyes closed, your hands had found fabric to grip on my suit messing with the perfect fan of the softly glowing holotags. When you did open your eyes, you blinked rapidly, but I could tell your pupils were dilated to almost a full black. Oh, my Vault dweller liked our kiss! The Shakespeare line, “Parting is such sweet sorrow” played through my head. I fully grasped the meaning as I tucked another strand of flyaway hair behind your ear. It was then I mustered the courage to turn and walk away.

Sola, it killed me but I didn’t look back. You knew I needed this, you know how important the Brotherhood was to me. You understood how important it was that I was flung back into the life. Armed with the intel on all the enemy hot spots and the recovered goods from the cache, I was poised to be too busy to think for a good while and that was good. I did not want to disappoint you or myself so I marched up to the gates and answered the challenge.

You know the rest, Maxon came down and brought me back into the fold as it were and I have been on the Prydwen ever since. I faced testing and interrogation and have been under watch but that’s nothing unusual. I remembered what you said about the settlement on the other side of the water and I came to the deck here every night after last meal to look at the lights, and to wonder where you were.  
And then one evening, I came down to the mess in the evening as usual and there you were stumbling into the room. You were struggling to stay on your feet when I caught you. You grabbed onto my uniform and were in distress, you didn't even recognize me! I was about to call for Cade to come, when he suddenly appeared in the Mess, surgical tray in hand. You took one look at him and completely freaked out. You were screaming at full volume No No No! Your legs skidding on the floor, a death grip on my uniform. Cade was insistent that you be returned to he clinic to finish your round of treatments. Sola, I had never seen you like this, your fear was so strong. I made the decision to take you out of there until you could choose for yourself what to do and I yelled at him to back off. That’s when I carried you out of the mess and up to my bunk. You were sobbing so hard, I didn’t really know where else to take you. “I thought you were mad at me, I said, leaning back from him to see his face. “I thought in that moment that you didn’t want to see me any more, and it so completely ruined me that I just started to cry.” “I had been looking forward to seeing you again so much Brandis.” He pulled me to him, turning slightly guiding me so I landed in his lap. ‘Brandis?” I asked, making his name into a question. “Permission to kiss you Knight,” was all he whispered, arms slowly going around me holding me tight. I couldn't talk, I just lowered my head and brushed my lips against his, once, twice. Courage plucked, I finally replied, a soft whisper against his lips. “Permission granted Paladin.”


	8. An Education awaits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sola learns that there is more to the Brotherhood than she first realized, and Brandis is more than ready to teach her.

So there it was, his strong feelings, plain as day written on his face. Well, currently his face as busy kissing the shit out of my face, so yeah, there was that too. Here I thought I was rescuing him from his personal hell, when in reality he was saving me from mine too. My Paladin, my protector. He says that I showed him through my actions alone that it was alright to care again. That he could care again. I don’t know about that. I was just being me. I never really thought about how that would be received here and now, I just did what I felt was right. The only thing that distinguished me from the raiders who did what they wanted was that my thoughts were always about how I could make a place better for everyone, not how I could keep what was mine, mine and fuck everyone else.

Brandis was correct about my pre-war thinking clouding my perceptions. He had opened my eyes to those little details I had been missing. Like how when I thought I was being ignored by everyone, they were actually showing me that they trusted me, it meant I was welcomed. He also brought to light the things I had been misinterpreting as small, actually had larger ramifications. Like holding out a hand to someone, as Brandis had done so many times to me. It was not for handshakes or a hand up. Here in the Brotherhood, if someone held out their hand to you, they were indicating a desire to stand together, or to be together intimately. Sitting next to someone as closely as possible was another way to express interest. If you carried someone’s kit for them, and his admission of this made me blush, was usually reserved for people who had paired off for however long. Brandis, the whispered “Silver Fox” the legend who rose from the ashes of MIA to return to the fold, he who solved the biggest supply theft ring, who gave closure to 6 families missing their dead. Brandis, the handsome Paladin who came back to the BOS smothered in mystery and charm was a much sought after companion.

Again I find myself in my Paladin’s lap, this time though, I’m in no hurry to leave. My heart was beating fast, my hands were, all on their own, slowly coursing through his hair, down his neck and face, running down his strong shoulders and arms. He had me quite firmly pinned to him as he jacked my heart rate with his kisses. His desire for me was evident in every move he made. The groans he let slip when he lowered one and arm to grab my ass, or when he arched his hips upwards and pressed his hard length into the quickly warming juncture of my thighs. “Sola, do you understand now?” He asked me pulling from our kiss, almost breathless. “Do you see now?” “That’s the reason for the crowds in the Mess hall whenever we met up.” “You literally fell into my arms, a damsel in distress, like a story out of a pre-war fairy tale.” “When I swept you up in my arms, everyone thought it was to return you to the clinic, but then I turned heel and took off with you, we became something more.” “I apologize, I knew that from your pre-war upbringing you had no idea what my offer of a hand meant.” “I know that, you would see it as something innocent.” “It’s not an innocent thing here.””I did it on purpose Sola, I wanted the message to get out that I was not available, that I was pairing myself with you.”   
“I carried your kit, because by then I wanted to be of service to you, help you whenever I could, and because by then I was so gone for you I would have crawled across the Commonwealth just to be near you.” “It was plain for everyone to see that you had no idea what I was doing.” “Hell, everyone laughed at me behind my back (and some to my face) that my attempts at pairing off with you were falling on def ears.” “I wasn’t going to tell them the reason you had no idea what was going on.” “I knew that eventually you would come to understand how I felt.”

Sitting in his lap, watching him tell me these things, the frank and open expression on his face was a beautiful thing to see. “Brandis, are you telling me, that you wish to form a permanent arrangement with me?” I asked him. 

“Sola, I would never presume to make a commitment demand of a BOS woman, what I am telling you is that I will have no other.” He took a deep breath “I look around, and all I see is you.” “My eyes seek you in every crowd, weather or not you are there.” “My ears strain the voices for yours.” “I am completely and totally yours.” “And because you are new to the ways of the Brotherhood, that means that if you choose someone else to share your bed, it matters not, I will still be yours.” “I told you, you saved me, my heart has been yours since you first smiled at me, sunlight casting a brilliant glow around you in the doorway of the bunker.” “That and your fantastic ass!” This he said grabbing onto said posterior and dragging me closer to him. His cock shouting it’s approval as well as it snugged nicely into my crotch.  
I felt as though I had been hit by a Mac Truck and buried under an avalanche all at the same time. I was so completely overwhelmed. I know I sat there and stared at him forever, digesting it all. And he waited, holding me in his lap, patiently letting me think. “So,” I began slowly, dragging the “o” part of the so out for a second or two. I began to draw lazy circles on his chest. “So can you tell me how a BOS lady tells a guy she’s interested?” “He looked up at me, green eyes widening in surprise.” “You really want to know?” he asked, barely a whisper. “Yes I said, for um, purely educational reasons!” I sat up higher in his lap, bringing my breasts up to his eye level, distracting him slightly. “OK Sola, I’ll tell you,” he said, eyes slowly and reluctantly coming back up to mine.

What I heard next was indeed an education! Brandis had returned to the Prydwen, walking in beside Maxon, surrounded by an honour guard, wearing that black BOS officer uniform. He was flush with intel that scrambled vertibirds, he had brought in a major clue to the second large supply theft issue, and everyone in Command knew him personally and welcomed him back. He created quite a stir in the normally routine routine of the Prydwen. In contrast to the way he arrived, he himself was a quiet and unassuming man. He slept in the common room and joined in the showers without complaint about his rank or privileges. He was in the beginning involved in many meetings with all of Command. Rumors being what they are, he was soon the much lauded war hero returned from afar. 

“It didn’t take long before their curiosity started to get the better of them”, he told me. “Each night I would stand at ease, waiting in the mess hall.” “They didn’t know why, or who I waited for.” “By the end of the night, I would grab a tray and sit and eat by myself, eventually I would find that some would join me.” “I was always polite and never followed up on their invitations.” “I always kept the talk short, as it was my routine by then to go out on the deck after and watch the lights at Nordhagen Beach.” “Can you tell me what they did to show you?” I asked, fingers now tracing the stitching on his jumpsuit.” “They would sit down beside me, in the beginning.” “It moved up to brushing against my arm or shoulder.” “Then it would escalate to passing me and rubbing their backsides against whatever they could reach.” “Really?” was my response. I had never seen this behaviour myself, but my powers of observation were completely lacking when it came to all of these signs and signals, so I nodded to him to continue.

“In the sleeping area, I was in a different bunk every night.” “I didn’t think I would have to bunk hop, but I was forced to by the very forward invitations I was receiving.” “I would return to the bunk I had used the night before, to find a female in various states of undress waiting for me.” “I did my best not to meet their eyes, I pretended to not know why they were there and I just moved my kit from the footlocker at the end of the bed and walked as far away as I could and bunked down there.” “This had been what was going on for the full 3 weeks you were away.” “Every night, a new bunk.” “It was just what I had to do.” 

“Brandis,” I asked, did any of them wait for you naked?” “Yes Sola” was his simple reply. “Oh” was what I could muster in reply to that.

He continued. “I had the most trouble when I went to the showers,” he said. “I know when I went that first night of my return it was dizzying to be back in the steam, and having all that hot water run over me was heaven, my physical response was, well, thick.” “When I realized what was happening, I noticed a lot of females positioning themselves to be seen.” “There were also more than a few who were openly staring” “It was not long after that, I was approached to share.” “When an offer to share is given, it usually means that there is an interest to get closer, to see if maybe there might be a possibility for something more.” “There is usually a lot of soap used and time spent close together so she can get her hands on you.” “I had many, many offers to share, but I politely refused them all.” “They could clearly see that I was in favor of the female form, I’m not dead inside, I reacted to the nudity like a starved man at a feast.” “I had thought eventually all this interest in me would die down, but my polite refusals just seemed to spur them on to more brash attempts.”


	9. The Desirable Result

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sola's lessons continue,and Brandis is more than happy to teach. What she learns changes everything for her and Brandis.  
> Probably should leave a warning that there is some explicit story line here. If you are not comfortable with unprotected sex, cum or anything like that, maybe give this chapter a pass

“What kinds of things do they do to get your attention in the shower?” I asked a little braver, curiosity driving my courage up. “Oh, well, they stand in a way that shows off their bodies, usually focusing on long lines, and muscle definition.” “They will shower provocatively, mimicking sex acts if they think that will snag your attention.” “And, these water saving showers?”, I begin asking. “When two people share water sometimes they do it because the room is packed and it’s the only way to get clean on time, sometimes they do it to help each other get clean and well, most of the time it’s just a warm up for a two people to pair off.” “The showers were starting to become a problem, so I changed up my schedule and switched to mornings vs. evenings and things calmed down a little, until they found me again.” he said. “Now I just shower randomly so no one knows when I’ll be there.”

“Then you fell into my arms and so began the fairy tale”, he said. “They have no idea that I knew you from before, that we shared something so completely life changing, well for me it was life changing”, he admitted that last bit shyly. “Sola, I really hope you understand just what you did to me, what you continue to do to me.” The crazy thing was, I think I did. 

“So”, I began again, sitting back a little on his lap, “Let’s say I wanted to, oh I don’t know, start something with you, what would be the best way to go about it?” “His eyes went a little feral, and his smile went truly foxy. “Well, he said, that depends on what the Lady wants to do.” “Let’s say, the lady wants her man to maybe unzip her jumpsuit, because he seems to be really good at that.” Was my reply. His quick intake of breath, the eye contact he made to verify that this was indeed my request, and the Cheshire cat grin at my head nod had him raising his arms behind my back. And slowly, oh so slowly he unzipped my suit, running his hands down my back as he did so. I reached up and undid the collar, and the suit started to slip from my shoulders, falling forward into my hands. It was slithering down my arms, the sides of my breasts exposed. He didn’t try to pull the suit from my hands, he just helped me to relax again, running his hands up and down my now completely bare back. “Your skin is unbelievable Sola.” This he whispered in the small space between us. I sat there clasping the jumpsuit to my chest, breathing eyes closed. My heart was racing, why was I so scared? Why was I so worried? This was something I very much wanted to happen, I was in a time when it was completely OK for it to happen, why was I holding myself back?

He had started to tell me that he didn’t want to rush, that whatever I was comfortable sharing with him was fine, that he would wait forever if necessary until I was ready. I think I was waiting to hear those words. I uncrossed my arms and the jumpsuit slithered down to my waist. I sat before him, topless for the first time, and I couldn’t even look at him. I was shaking. I had not been this exposed since, well since Nate and I were dating.

He knew, he knew how damn hard it was for me to do what I just did. I could hear his jumpsuit being unzipped and then instead of moving toward my breasts with mouth or hand, he simply pulled me close to him so he could wrap me in a strong hug. His warm arms surrounded me, and he held me against his own bare chest. I don’t know how long I shook, it felt like forever to be honest. He didn’t let me go. Just kept rubbing my back, and murmuring sweet nothings in my ear. When my shaking eased and I moved to sit up, he loosened his hold, but didn’t completely let go. That’s when I decided that I wanted this, and I simply drew his face in close enough to kiss him. I had intended for it to start soft and sweet, but when I got him close enough something inside me snapped and I went for it. I had too much heat bottled up boiling for this man inside me and it needed out.

He knew, he could tell, and he responded in kind. Our kiss became something more, hands roaming, pressing up against each other, the pace becoming more demanding.  
He pulled back from the kiss, and stood up, catching me and holding me until I could get my feet under me. He backed me up until I was standing in front of the crate again. His hands were already guiding my jumpsuit down, past my hips, past my thighs, his hands slid down until the suit pooled at my ankles. I stepped out, standing there in front of him for the first time, completely naked. He stepped back, dragging my jumpsuit clear and looked at me. I was embarrassed, and began to cover my stomach and other areas that I had always been made fun of in my pre-war life. He reached out and stopped me. “No Sola, don’t.” was all he said. I stood there, bathed in lantern light shivering slightly under his steady glare. He didn’t say a word, but bent over and drew his own suit off. Casually tossing it so it landed on top of mine. Foreshadowing events to come much?  
He was a masterwork carved in marble. The lantern light made plain the shadows cast by the long strong lines of him. The scars that patterned his skin were multiple and intricate. I couldn’t help myself, I reached across the small space between us and ran my fingers lightly over a larger one on his right rib. His skin rippling under my touch. “That was from a Yao Gui, when I was first enlisted.” “I thought it was dead, but it was just laying there luring me in.” My hand transferred to another, he shivered again, telling me how that one came to be. I walked around him, that glorious ass was not unscathed, and as I ran my hand over that muscular curve he jumped a little. “Is my Paladin, ticklish?” I asked, in a voice barely a whisper. “Your Paladin, yes.” “Was all he replied. I let that sink in for a moment. Mine. I really liked the sound of that. 

I had made it around to his front again, his arms encircled me and we stood there pressed against each other. I could feel his racing heart beat. I could feel his hard length hot against my stomach.  
“Sola, I won’t do anything more than what you want to do.” he said. “If this is as far as we go, I will be very happy.” he said, tucking my fly away hair behind my ear. I could feel how wet I was, I was so slick. That tight uncoiling feeling was becoming a demand. “Paladin” I said, looking up at him. “Permission to suck your cock.” That caught him completely by surprise. I didn’t give him a chance to think, I just gracefully went to my knees and pulled his cock into my mouth. “Sola!” “Fuck!” His hands buried into my hair and he began thrusting his cock into my face, gently at first. He quickly found out I could deep throat his entire length. He came so hard, so fast barking my name, hips thrusting hard into my face. His cum a hot jet shooting down my throat.   
Three years was a long time for a Brotherhood male to be without this sort of stimulation. He fell to his knees, cock popping out of my mouth as he hit the deck. He was shaking, saying my name over and over. He tipped my head up and started to kiss me, tonguing his spend out of my mouth, making it a part of our kiss. He swallowed, pulling back to groan about how good he tasted in my mouth.

My hands found his cock of their own accord, holy shit, he was still hard! “Knight”, he said, eyes pleading. “Requesting permission to return the favour.” Not a question, but an honest to god request. “I sat down on the crate, leaned back against the wall and brought my knees up into my hands, spreading myself wide. “Permission granted Paladin” I replied. He was on me so fast. His whole mouth buried in my pussy, I was left gasping. He slayed me, his tongue delved into my depths, danced on my clit and reduced me to a quivering mess so fast I was cumming within minutes. It had been years for me too. Greedy bastard lapped up everything he had tongued out of me. He got up on his knees, and crawled up my body and kissed me. I could taste everything we shared, my tongue as greedy in his mouth has his was in mine.  
Had had positioned himself with care, I could feel his cock sliding up my pussy, his warm length resting in my folds. He was slowly thrusting his hips grinding his shaft on my clit, the head going no where near my opening. He was driving me crazy with this killer kiss and clit rub combo.   
“Knight”, he said, knowing I was in the palm of his hand”. “Yes Paladin” I gasped as his long length pressed my clit in a delicious way. “I await, your next orders.”was his response. Orders? I said to myself, trying to remember just what that word meant. Orders? Like, I get to tell him what to do next orders? “I gave it a test. “Kiss me again” he bent his head to the task. Single minded, he started slow and brought up the pace until I had to pull away, gasping. The whole time he was slowly grinding that cock of his up and down my pussy. “Paladin”, I said head a little lighter after that kiss. “Yes Knight” he replied in that deep bass voice of his. “I think I want, I think, just, for you to just slide your cock down and then insert just the tip, then back out and slide up again.” “Yes Mam’am” The man could follow orders, even shaking as he was when he did as I asked. To the letter. Oh it felt soooo good. That small invasion of just the head of his cock. Then the withdraw! Oh it was torture waiting for him to slide up, then back down again. Then, he did it again, just the fat head sliding into me, no deeper. I’m gasping for breath, my back arching, I really want him to just slide it into me, but he keeps up with my orders. Over and over and over. I’m being wound up tight and all I want now is for him to sink that hot length into me. P,P,Paladin” I stammer out. Breath rasping now, I’m feeling frantic, I need him inside me. “He’s as breathless as I am, struggling to control his movements to the parameters I laid out for him. “Y-y-yes m-my K-knight?” he gasps out. “I,I,I need, oh I need you to, to, Fuck! I need you to fuck me!   
In one large move, he wraps his arms around me and picks me up. His cock is still laying on my pussy as he picks me up and turns around. “Lay down, Sola” he says softly pointing me in the direction of the blanket I had completely forgotten on the floor. My legs were unsteady from my previous position. He grabbed my hand and I managed a semi-graceful descent to the floor. He was right there with me, laying me down on my back. He positioned himself between my legs and split them wide open. “Sola, are you sure?” he asked me, one hand on my raised knee, the other running his hand up and down his cock. Feeling braver than I had in forever I smiled and nodded, and said “Paladin, I order you to slide that massive cock of yours into me and...” I didn’t get to finish the order, he fell on me, his cock finding my opening easily. He drew out his entry as he slowly slid his thick length into me. “So hot, so wet” he was all but panting. “Brandis,” I say as he reaches as deep as he can go. “Oh, Fuck Paladin”, if you don’t move that cock I’m going, aaaaaah! He pulled back and thrust foreward into me hard. “You were asking for this Knight?” he said, drawing back and thrusting in hard again. My back arched as he filled me, all those aching places inside me finally getting what they had been screaming for. He couldn’t keep this up for long. He was shaking so hard, his pace was becoming uneven, he was gasping. “So fucking hot”. He panted. “So fucking tight.” “Sola, I’m cumming!” He thrust hard, back arching, cock pinned up against my cervix. I could feel his hot load filling me. He drew back somewhat and thrust hard again, and again. “Sola, oh Sola, fuck, fuck!” His hips moving, cum still filling me, his cock still seated in me deeply. Finally with small shudders he looked down at me, his green eyes shining, arms shaking he lowers down beside me, still buried deep, and gathered me to him. He’s whispering my name over and over raining soft kisses over my forehead and cheeks. I’m pressed up against him when I feel his cock finally soften and slide out, laying wetly between us. We are sticky with our combined spend that is now seeping out of me and covering us both.  
“Paladin”I whisper from the circle of his arms. “Yes Knight” he replies, contentment rolling off him in waves. “I have a new order for you” I say, bravery building in me by the second. “I’m here to serve m’Lady”, is his reply. “I am officially requesting that you escort me to the showers, and accompany me therein.” “I can’t do it by myself Brandis,” I say to him in as close to a normal tone of voice as I can muster, “And since you have contributed to me getting so very, very dirty (I said this part in a sultry voice) I think it only fair that you help me get clean.” “But can we please stay just like this, for a bit more?” This last request I asked in almost a whisper against his chest. His arms twined around me tighter and he threw his leg over mine drawing me close to him so we were touching from chest to toes. His simple reply causing my heart to melt. “Anything you want Sola, anything.”


	10. Gettin' it on, again and again!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I need to apologize in advance, I've been writing and re-writing this chapter and every time I do it seems to acquire more...well more. It's been years for Brandis and centuries for Sola and they seem bound and determined to make up for that lack. Their attraction is mutual and they are not afraid to express it anymore. And like a pair of horny teenagers, well things just keep popping up. If you are not into long chapters of people gettin' it on, cum filling and spilling, I would say maybe give this one a pass and wait for the next one. But I can't promise the next chapter won't be even a little like this one. I really think these two are just getting started.

We didn’t lay on the floor for much longer. The winds outside had finally found their way into the room, chilling it and us with random gusts. He rose first and I watched the play of his muscles over his lean frame. His member spent and soft against his thighs. I noticed a complete lack of body hair and as he turned around stretching, my eyes were drawn to that tight ass, and then upwards to the ruin of his back. “Oh Brandis!” I said, in dismay. At some point, and I don’t remember that point, I had scored his back with my nails, many times. He twisted around to look at me,. “What’s wrong, Sola?” he asked, concern plain on his face. “Your back!, I’m sorry for doing that to you, I didn’t even realize I did it!” “You don’t need to apologize for something I enjoyed Sola.” he said matter of factly while reaching down with his hand to pull me up to my feet. I fit my hand into his, with no hesitation, his reaction the same, in drawn breath and wicked smile. He continued his interrupted stretch, this time, facing me. Yep, I was staring again. My eyes were busy roaming. “Like what you see, Knight?”he said, his stretch slowly becoming a show just for me. “Aye-aye Paladin” I said, lightly smacking his round tempting bottom as it rotated past me. He grabbed my hand before I could grab at him again and lifted my fingers to his lips, kissing the knuckles, green eyes locked onto my blue ones. His actions send small shivers of pleasure through me. With the aforementioned green eyes twinkling, he drew me close and tucked me under his chin. Our arms encircled each other as we stood there.  
Again, the cold wind invaded our moment and we reluctantly separated. He bent down and picked up my jumpsuit. With quick efficiency he turned it inside out and held it out in front of me. I reached for it, but the cheeky devil had other plans.  
“No Sola, come here, I want to help you dress.” “Stand like so he said, turning my back to his chest. He held my suit out in front of I bent over to step in, my ass pressed up against his softened cock. My movements grind it against my sensitive flesh, I can feel it responding, hardening somewhat, enough that the tip finds my opening and buries itself in me. We both groan at the same time. He’s soft enough that it doesn’t go in far, but hard enough that it burrows deeper when I flex my hips and grind back against him. His hands are on my hips again. He’s breathing hard. I’m not making it any easier on him as I rotate my hips, working his shaft in deeper. “Sola”, he growls out at me. “Ah woman, you’re killing me!” He’s hardening again! I just thought to tease him a bit while he was getting his jollies dressing me! His cock is now stiffening inside me, as it grows he’s working it in an out of me. He bends me over at the waist and I place my hands on the floor, thanking my fitness instructor for insisting on all those goddamned inch-worms he made me do at the gym. Brandis is not done with me yet, he keeps up his slow fuck and snakes his hand around my waist to tweak my clit. He takes his time filling me with those long slow strokes while he flicks my sensitive clit fast and hard. It’s too much for my already overheated pussy and I’m cumming fast and hard. My orgasm rippling through me brings him to climax too, hes fucking me with short powerful thrusts now, his breath catching, fingers digging into the flesh at my hips as he holds on. “Fuck Sola!” “Oh Fuck!” There is some incoherent groaning as he finishes his orgasm. “I just wanted to help you get your jumpsuit on, I didn’t intend to take advantage of you again.” he says as he pulls his cock out of me, our juices flowing out after. He bends down behind me and begins to lick at my swollen opening. I jump slightly from the sensation his tongue causes. “Sola, we taste so good together,” was his one utterance as he worked his tongue over me, lapping up what we had both released. Still on his knees behind me he drew the suit up slowly over my legs and man handled my bottom in, kissing the round mounds before tucking them in. He stood up pulled me up as well, and then drew the material of the sleeves up my arms and over my chest. He turned me around and suckled and tongued each nipple, bringing them to hardened points before expertly tucking the fabric around my curves. He drew the suit over my arms, kissing the spot on my shoulder where he had marked me with his teeth. The red of it blazing on my alabaster skin. He walked behind me and gathered up my long hair and drew it over one shoulder. He slowly did up the zipper. When he was done he kissed the back of my neck and brought my hair back. “I don’t have much experience with hair like yours Sola” he says to me, hands still working the strands. “Don’t worry Brandis, I say smiling softly as I turn around to him, you will.” I can see the desire in his eyes. He’s still completely naked, standing in front of me. I bend down before he thinks to, and pick up his suit. But instead of helping him into it, I walk around him, running my hands over his skin, feeling the play of his strong muscles, watching the trail of shivers I leave in my wake. I stop behind him and give his butt another playful smack. “Nice” I say out loud. Brandis is tall and long of muscle, but his definition is hard earned. Years of power armour work and ground manuvers have kept him not only lean but oh so very strong. The boy’s got muscles on his muscles!  
I come back to the front and trace my hand from his groin up over his stomach to his chest and up to his neck where I gently pull him down for a kiss. I keep it light and sweet.  
He murmurs against my lips a question about how sound the horseflesh is, and I laugh! “Where did you ever hear that?” I asked him. “What?” he asks, is this horse-thing real?” “Yes Brandis I say, glancing again at his spent member. “Yes, they at one time were. He grabs the black jumpsuit from me and shucks himself in quickly and efficiently. He’s then off packing up the blanket into the day pack, and dousing the lanterns. Our love nest is dismantled with the same economy of movement in which he dressed. The cheeky bugger looks up at me and winks as he hides the lanterns behind a crate, “In-case we need them again.” he says, a satisfied smile on his face. 

We reenter the mess hall how we left it, hands clasped, quietly smiling. I take a seat at the small table in the corner and Brandis orders for us both. Not that I would have had a menu to choose from, like a dinner out in my time. He’s just picking up two of whatever is being served tonight. “Mystery meat, corn and for dessert something that was once mutfruit,” he says grinning as he slides our trays on the table. Smiling at him, I find that I’m hungry enough that I don’t really care.

We bolt our food down out of habit. I’m thankful that my fast eating habit is a bonus here, and not seen as the embarrassment it was in my past. I can’t tell you the times I was yelled at for not “enjoying the beef” or cringed upon hearing my least favourite “did you even taste that?” I let it go and scraped the last of whatever that mutfruit stuff was and pushed my tray away yawning loudly. I was trying to figure out what my next step would be. I really, really wanted a shower and then bed. I’m tired and I really need to get clean, besides tomorrow is going to be a long day. As if reading my mind Brandis asks, “are you going to shower before bed?” I meet his eyes and say that I do want to, but I am still not comfortable with the whole communal shower thing. I know I can’t ask him to keep people out at this time of night because it is the busiest right now with shift change. He knows of the way it was in the old days for me and the “split facilities” as they call it in the BOS. “Sola”, he says my name, returning my attention to him. ‘Would it help, if I were there to keep you safe?” Those complicated emotions start to twirl in me again! Embarrassment over my old world thinking, desire to see my Fox naked again, and to have hot water sheeting over me. But the thought of all those people! He can see my anxiety building and doesn’t let it ramp up too much. He pushes the trays to one side and takes my hand in his. “Sola, Knight!”, he says a little louder, snapping me out of my negative head space. “Let’s go, right now, it will be busy but let’s get some hot water on you, then bed. “My breathing is a bit faster and my head starts to spin just thinking about it. We get up and, hands still clasped we leave the mess.  
I can't seem to reign in my anxiety, even with the breathing exercises I was taught. he’s taken us up to our bunks where we grab towels and our shower kits. Am I really going to do this? His hand is on mine again, leading me to the showers. I’m so stupidly scared the entire way there. As we enter the shower room I keep my eyes turned down, jumping at the steamy shadows I do see. We stop and I notice that he has led us to a quiet corner. “See Sola he says gently stopping me in front of the last shower head in the row in the corner, our backs to everyone else. He steps around me, hangs his towel, grabs mine and hangs it too. He cranks the water on and the steam starts to fill the space almost immediately. I breathe it in, oh damn, I can feel the heat of the water from here! I shiver in anticipation of all that hot water. Brandis is behind me now, unzipping my jumpsuit. he’s making quick work of removing it, peeling it from my arms as he goes down. I’m stepping free of it and he gently pushes me under the powerful hot spray. I turn around and let it pound down on my back and shoulders first. I tip my head back and let it massage my head, pulling all my hair to stream down my back. I turn around and it flows over my chest and down my belly. Oh God, this feels so good! I present my back again, letting the water pound the muscles of my neck and shoulders. I turn again, head up letting the hot water splash over my collar bone warming me releasing tension I didn’t know I had in me.  
Strong soapy hands glide over my back, across my shoulders and down my spine. I arch into the wonderful massage. The bar of soap now is being passed over my bottom soapy fingers delving into my ass crack. “Brandis!” I say spinning around, wet hair smacking him before my hand playfully hits his chest. He’s completely naked, cock standing stiffly at attention, again. I look down at it, and up at his blushing face. “It’s all your fault,” he says as stiffly as his member. “Your reaction to the hot water, caused my physical reaction to, er, react.” he said in clipped tones. I can’t believe he’s hard again! I found my own bar of soap and lathered up my hands. I grab his cock and pull him gently toward me under the hot water. Yes, I work his shaft with my soapy hands, yes I make him cum right there under the hot water, his hands braced against the wall on either side of me, water sheeting over his back, protecting me from the spray. His ejaculation is strong and my stomach, hand and breasts are coated in his thick jiz. The shower cleans it all away in seconds after he manages to stand up. His member softens and I look up at his glazed eyes. Contended smile on his face. “Paladin” I say to him. “Are you clean enough?” “You look like you could use some sleep”, I say playfully. “Minx!” he says reaching for me, kissing me under the hot water. “I want to wash your hair Sola.” Then bed. “So he does, with gentle strokes at first, he takes my suggestions and soon has me groaning under those long strong fingers of his. The shower has my hair rinsed clean in no time. I offer to wash his his too and he drags a stool over so I can tend to him. That’s when I notice that the room is literally bursting with people. He feels me freeze and puts a hand on mine. “See, he says, It’s no big deal they aren’t even reacting, or staring or anything.” And they weren’t!” Well not overtly. There were some who were looking our way to see what was going on, but no one was leering. There were other pairs grooming under the showers, there was even a young couple in the showers opposite us.....OMG! Was he? Yes, he was slowly fucking her under the water’s spray. She didn’t look like she was complaining, in fact it looked like she was directing him! Besides my hand job, and what was going on between the two over there, everything else was business as usual.  
I picked up what passed for shampoo on the Prydwen and soaped up my Paladin’s hair. My Paladin. It was true, he was mine. I dug my fingers into that shock of silver hair and treated him to a scalp massage. He reached back with one arm and loosely hugged my leg while I worked, groaning in appreciation. The greatest water pressure in the Commonwealth made short work of the suds and Brandis turned off the water. He reached for the towels and after wrapping his around his waist, concealing his still stiff erection, he gently started to towel off my hair. He proceeded to dry off the rest of me. When he was done he expertly wrapped the towel around me and tucked it in tight. He stepped in front of me to grab out toilet kits and I saw how red the marks on his back were now. “Brandis, I’m sorry again for scratching you like that.” I said quietly, hand gently touching one of my many score marks. “Oh Sola”, he said turning and reaching for my hand. “Never deny me your marks of pleasure.” “I will always wear them proudly,” he finished running his hand over the bite mark he had left on my shoulder. “Yes. Like that one.” he said, as my hand touched where he had bitten me.” He had made sure everyone had a chance to see the long very red scratches during our shower, so I didn’t cover my bite mark up as we made our way to the exit. We dropped dirty uniforms in the laundry, and went to Stores for fresh ones. Proctor Tegan passed mine to me without saying a word, or meeting my eyes. His terse, “Paladin, Knight” as we left was the only verbal exchange. Unless you could count the glower from Brandis, that spoke volumes. We made our way back to our sleeping area and stowed our clean uniforms for tomorrow. I slipped into a tank top and jockey shorts, what passed for sleepwear on the Prydwen and climbed into bed. The dog bed for Dogmeat was empty, but that didn’t mean anything bad. He was most likely at the bottom of a pile of sleeping kids somewhere. They spoiled him, so when we came to the Prydwen, he always hung out with them.  
Brandis was semi-hard under his black BOS issued jockey shorts. Fucking things were tight on him, hugging that phenomenal ass and outlining his bulge nicely. “Got something on your mind Paladin?” I asked as he slid in next to me throwing a blanket over us and then adjusting his tightening situation. I lay on my side facing him as he settled on his side facing me as well. Eyes staring into mine, small smile on his face, he replied, “Nothing too pressing he murmured, voice a sexy low rumble in the space between us. “I’m just thinking of sliding this painful throbbing erection into that hot dark well of yours”, was his reply.  
Well you know it had been about 30 long minutes since our last congress, so.....  
Oh boy, I was in trouble. He hadn’t even touched me, there was no exchange between us other than that low sexy voice of his telling me of his pressing problem. With just that voice and that hot as fuck stare he had me burning for him again. I felt like a horny teenager staring at this man who had stirred in me a desire no other had been able to. I couldn’t believe how many times we had fucked already today and here I was, wanting him again, needy pussy already wet.  
“Oh really Paladin?” I asked, stretching lazily under our shared blanket, making the tank top strain against my nipples, my hand reaching over to lightly trace the muscles on his chest. “What else is on your mind, World Peace?” I quipped. Totally misunderstanding the quote he growled back that “he didn’t need the whole world, just my piece would do.” I flared down there, need causing a sweet pain of my own. Oh this man is going to be my utter ruin, I say to myself as I slide over and whisper quietly to him, “I can’t stand to see you in such pain, I think I know how to help ease your hurts Paladin.” “Oh?” he responds, strong hands already stripping off my underwear, then wriggling out of his own. He rolled me onto my back and brought up both my legs onto his shoulders and leaned forward onto them, his cock is already at my entrance sliding in. “Oh Sola!” my name is groaned as he sinks into me again, back and in, back and in, slow long strokes that almost pull out and then fill me to the hilt. I can feel his balls slap me as he picks up the pace. I pull my tank top up so he can see my breasts better, they’re bouncing with each thrust, he makes appreciative noises, talking beyond him right now. My legs are holding him up and his hands are free to roam. He uses one to manipulate my clit and the other snakes down to where we are joined, fingers swirling, and then into his mouth. He’s tasting us, smiling and reaching down again for more. Huge smile on his face.  
His pace is increasing, he’s fucking me so deep in this position I can feel his dick touch my cervix. He begins to chant my name softly over and over, timing it with each hard stroke. I’ve lost track of how many times he’s said my name when his back arches and he drives his cock in deep. His cum fills the space left and begins to ooze out coating us. Breathing hard he raises up and releases the pressure on my legs. He grabs them and re-positions me onto my side, his cock still buried inside me. We both end up curled on our sides in the middle of our bed, I’m surrounded by my Paladin, who is not done with me yet. His hand is running down my leg, lifting it and bringing it back over his hip. I can still feel him inside me, he’s still shaking from tremors, though they are more spaced apart. Is he still having orgasms somehow? Every time he adjusts me, I can feel his hot spend leaking out. He’s still thrusting that semi-hard cock of his into me, as those long strong fingers of his start stroking my clit. Oh my god! Is he starting to stiffen, again?!  
“Sola, you’re magic!” he says growling in my ear, picking up his thrusting pace. “I can’t get enough!” His fingers dance on my sweet spot causing me to shake, and then I’m cresting back arched. I soak his cock with my own release. The wetness making his strokes glide deeper into my pulsing, constricting depths. He cums again, another hard thrust to my deepest spot, more hot cum filling me. We’re both gasping, shaking. I press back into him as he reaches for me, encircling me with his arm. We’re exhausted, breathing hard and smiling like idiots. He snags the blanket that fell off, whenever it did, I never noticed and throws it over us. We warm the space nicely, relaxing further, I can feel his well drained member slide out. Neither of us move, we’re too exhausted from our evening fuckathon. “Wow, I’m going to feel this in the morning,” I mutter to myself. “Heh-heh” is his quiet reply. I begin to fall asleep with his warm breath on my cheek and strong heart beat at my back. His arm is around my waist, his leg is thrown over mine. “Possessive Paladin” I whisper. “You’ll be the death of me woman.” is whispered back to me as he falls asleep. A satisfied smiled is pasted to my face and it’s not long before I’m asleep too.


	11. *Bonus Chapter!*  Brandis' Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is just a bonus chapter.  
> Brandis as we know has some very, very good dreams. This one takes place in the early morning after Chapter 10.  
> It's a short and sweet chapter from Brandis' perspective.

-Brandis-  
The dream feels so real, like every other fucking dream since the day we parted. She’s there, in my arms, curled up against me, sleeping heavily and completely. I swear I can smell her hair and if I move forward, I could kiss her neck. In the dream my morning wood grinds against her from behind and finds her pussy. The head of my cock pushes in between her thighs and I move it slowly inside her wet slick channel. Oh it’s fucking torture these dreams! I know when I wake my sheets will be filled with cum and I’ll be alone to deal with the fallout of my loneliness.  
Again.  
Consciousness slowly claims me and I open my eyes. The lights of the Prydwen are lowered, it’s still too early for everyone to wake up. Not that it matters as much for me, I’m still not on active duty. I take a deep breath, stretch and my stiff morning wood sinks right into the crack of the softest ass. I freeze for a few seconds and tighten my arm and feel a waistline. I raise up on my elbow and see the most glorious sight. Long hair is spilled all over my pillow, and a tight, obscenely tight, tank top is half covering the roundest set of breasts. The raised shirt shows off the lower half of her breasts, the swells moving gently with every breath. The blanket stretched over our hips hides the best surprise of all, we’re naked! I lay back down and my hips flex grinding my cock into her ass crack again. Sola, my Sola, I’m not dreaming! I grind against her again and some sleepy reflex of hers raises her ass so the head of my very stiff cock slips perfectly down into her pussy. I gasp, she’s asleep! I shouldn’t just, OMG she’s still slick from our night of fucking. I reach down and feel where we're tentatively joined, I push in a bit more and I’m rewarded with a warm gush over my cock. Oh this feels so good. I’m sliding in a bit more, her bottom rotates and she’s grinding me into her even more. I decide to wait here, glorying in the feel of our connection. I won’t be able to hold still for long, she just feels so damn good! She flexes back against me unexpectedly driving me deep inside. She’s groaning now, moving herself around on my cock, hips moving her pussy up and down my shaft. She’s waking up! "Oh! Paladin!" she mumbles, pleasure tinting her sleepy voice. She arches her back and stretches her arm back and over to my head. Somehow she twists her upper body so she can kiss me while I’m still inside her! This is so fucking hot!  
Holy fuck! I break off the kiss and roll her onto her back, pulling out my cock to rise over her. I split her legs wide and reenter her hot channel in a smooth stroke, filling her, driving her forward with my hard thrust. I want to cum so bad, deep inside her again, the need is overwhelming. I put my hands on her thighs pushing down, completely opening her, giving me the best view. I’m watching her cunt swallow my cock and I can feel things tightening down there for me. I’m close to shooting another load. I can’t seem to fuck her for long, she’s just shaped to milk me! I reach down and massage her clit hard and fast, she’s so responsive I have her back lifting off the mattress panting, her bouncing breasts trapped in that obscenely tight tank top. My rapid manipulation of her clit is making her come undone. The ripples in her channel from her orgasm milking the seed right out of my balls. I jerk forward two or three times, my balls clenching as the cum jets out of me. Between the two of us we have flooded her capacity again. Oh Mamma, I’m still semi hard when I slip out of her and shift down the bed so I can get my mouth on her. I dive onto her swollen pussy. I’m lapping up our combined flavor, groaning with pleasure at the taste.  
I feel a hand entwine in my hair, she’s pulling up, so I lift up onto my elbows and look at my Sola, contentment painted on her face. "Having a good morning, Paladin?" She asks me. “Indeed I am Knight,” I reply licking my lips, eyes on her wicked smile. “As you were then, Paladin” she says hand pushing down lightly on my head. “Yes Ma'am,” I reply tongue sinking back down into her.


	12. The things we do.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things settle down a bit, a routine is starting to emerge and Sole is presented with an opportunity to give Brandis the ultimate gift.  
> Sacrifices must be made for advancements to happen.
> 
> {Please feel free to leave a comment on how things are going. I would love to hear from you!}

I’ve never been so thoroughly fucked in my entire life. I’ve never had a partner fulfill and satisfy my needs as he has. I am so stretched and drained and thirsty and hungry and in need of another shower. Brandis finished his tongue bath and climbed back up the bed. He rolled me on top of him, contented sigh let out as I lay boneless atop him. If he were a cat, I’m sure he would be purring.  
“Brandis”, I say hand running through his beautiful silver hair. I need another shower. “I’m sticky from head to toe, and since you’re the main reason I’m so filthy, I need you to come with me.” I say tucking my head onto his shoulder and snuggling closer. We both know there are other reasons I won’t go alone, but he doesn’t bring them up. He just wraps both arms around me and quietly says “Anything for you Sola.” Sitting up, showing off that easy power his lean frame holds. “Let’s grab our kits now, then we can get something to eat after.

The shower room is completely empty. Everyone else already at their posts. We take our time, bathing each other, soap running slick over skin. His scars, and my clear skin fascinating to each other. He wants to wash my hair again and brings over a stool for me to sit on. He learns fast I’ll give him that. Those strong clever fingers massaging my scalp. I’m content, warm and relaxed, so I start to sing. In my previous life I used to love to sing in the shower, and there are lots of songs the bombs obliterated that I remember. I’m finishing a slow rendition of Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen when I notice that his hands have stopped and he’s standing still behind me.. “Sola,” he says quietly, did you make that up just now?” “No Brandis, it was a song made popular in a movie from when I was younger.” He pulls me up to standing and I rinse the soap from my hair. “Were you a singer in your time?” he says with a smile on his face. “Oh no, Brandis, “I reply, turning off the water, my hair now clear of soap. “I just like to sing in the shower is all.” “I feel good here and the acoustics are amazing.” “Indeed Sola,” he says wrapping a towel around me. “Do you sing anything else?” he asks. “Brandis, I reply, you wash my hair like that again, and I’ll sing something new for you every time.” He reaches over and turns on the water again, wicked smile on his face, eyes dancing with mischief. “How about now?”

We eat quickly, I’m on schedule for another afternoon shift at R&D and with the company I’m sharing, the morning has practically flown by. I can’t believe it’s only been a day since I started there. It feels like so much has happened since yesterday, and for me it kinda has. We’re back upstairs he’s sitting on the bed as I’m getting ready for my shift, fresh jumpsuit on, I’m just struggling to get all the knots out of my still semi-damp hair.  
“Let me help?” he asks. Frustrated I pass him the brush. He scoots back on the bed and pats the space in front of him. I sit on the edge and he tentatively starts to work the brush through my hair. I can’t help it, a big sigh escapes me. It feels so very good to have my hair brushed. He makes quick work of the snarls that were out of my reach and pulls it all back behind me when he’s done. I turn around and thank him with a soft kiss. “That felt great Brandis, thank you.” He still has the brush in his hand, a small smile on his face. I back off the bed and whirl my hair up in a bun on the top of my head. I’m going to be late if I don’t get moving. He stands up, places the brush on the night table and grabs my hand, and we head out. He lets go of my hand at the mess hall. It’s his choice to stop there. He lets me go down the hall myself, after sneaking another quick kiss. “I’ll see you after shift?” he asks me. “I sure hope so!” I reply to him. He smiles and nods. I take my cue and turn to walk down the hall, my Pip boy lighting up with a reminder that my shift starts in 15 mins. 

As far as shifts go, it was a good one. The Scribes were all waiting for me by K.S. Gavil’s desk. We walked back to our assigned area together, chatting about what today would entail. With the work stations assigned yesterday we were all ready to go. They left the choice of our first crate to open up to me. I picked one at random and brought it to the centre table. We opened it excitedly, not knowing what to expect. It was truly a box of memories. Some scribe had gone through a household and packed up everything from alarm clocks, to radio’s and telephones. These were all easily identifiable by everyone. It was when we dug deeper and found other items that they had no idea what they were. I knew of course, and slowly one by one we identified and tested what we had found. Most of the items we could reduce to valuable components. Screws were always in demand, plastic, copper, and the list goes on. I had two Scribes assigned to tear down and one assigned to repair items. I was busy digging out the items so I could sort them into their piles. Useful as is and useful as parts. They kept me running back and fourth from the central desk dropping items off to my scribes. I had my Pip boy playing music softly and the well lit shop made the work easy to do. It was near the bottom of the crate that I found it, buried under some broken hand held kitchen appliances. It was a portable music player. The kind I would have worn if I went for a run. My hands were shaking when I pulled it out of the box. Oh if only I could get this going again! I was itching to see what it had stored inside for music. The stuff on Diamond City radio was great, but it was great for my Grandmother, not my jams at all. This music player reminded me of the one I used. Dare I get up my hopes? My pip boy’s timer went off. It was the end of shift already. The Scribes, well versed in the ebb and flow of time around here were already packing up their stations. Stowing away tools and organizing the parts they had scrapped. We filed out after closing up shop and all made our way to the vertibird, checking in with K.S. Gavil to let him know we were done for the day.  
Our destination was the same, the Mess. I was the last one up the ladder to the second level, and let the others get ahead of me a little ways. I couldn’t see into the mess so I was left wondering if Paladin Brandis would be there. I shouldn’t have worried. He was standing at ease, eyes locked on me as I made my way into the mess hall. I smiled and walked up to him. “Knight”, he said using his regular greeting. “Paladin,” I replied with mine. I could see my Scribes out of the corner of my eye, whispering among themselves, but I didn’t make too much of it.  
He held out his hand and I took it easily. He smiled when my hand settled into his and he walked me over to the empty table in the corner. I sat down and he turned smartly and went to get our trays. Yes, the scribes were talking among themselves and sneaking glances my way. I would have to ask them about this in two days time. Tomorrow was my rest day, I had other plans and their nonsense was not going to dampen anything. Brandis returned with the trays and we tucked in. He asked about my shift and I filled him in on all the discoveries we had uncovered. He smiled at my enthusiasm for the music player and my plans on how to see what was saved therein. The mess was buzzing by the time we cleared our trays. Conversations around us were still rattling on about the increased sightings of the feral ghouls wandering close to the fences and how the mess was not too inventive with the food selection. We ate regularly, but we regularly ate the same things. I was happy when he pulled me out of the Mess and up to our shared space.  
I couldn’t believe how tired I was for someone who really hadn’t worked that hard today. I sat on the bed, up by the head board watching him move about. “Hey, it’s my rest day tomorrow, do you want to help me with a project I’ve had on my to do list for forever now?” I asked him. “I could really use your help with this one,” I add. He’s pacing, how did I not notice that? “I’m going to have to check my schedule,” he begins sarcastically. ‘Well have your people contact my people, and if you’re free, I would really love your help tearing down my power armour.” I was kneeling on the mattress now, watching him as he was peeling out of his uniform. I made no bones about staring at the entire process, and what a process! His shoulders rippled, his long legs flexing, he was a sculpture! He kicks the uniform off to the side and completely naked with his back to me, he stretches. I’m sure it’s for my enjoyment. He turns slightly looking back over his shoulder. “My people hun?” I didn’t think he’d get it, most of my jokes and humour run flat here, depressing really. He turns around and faces me, completely naked. I try not to peek, I really do but the man is totally posing! “I saw that”, he says when my eyes dart down. “I saw that too” he says again chuckling. I reach down beside me and snag the jockeys on his side of the bed and throw them at him, I’m blushing furiously! He catches them easily, his quick movements making things delicious to stare at. He stalks across the room and climbs on the bed, then he tackles me, and we’re both stretched out laughing. He lays down on his back, gathering me to his side and replies. “I would be pleased to help you with your tear down Sola.” “I’ve been eager to see the upgrades you’ve done to that suit of armor.” “They gave you the worst set, I’m sure on purpose, but you have repaired it and upgraded it so much even Proctor Ingram wants to see what you have done.” I shuffle around a bit, stretching my leg over his and hugging him with my top arm. The lower spare arm I’m not too sure what to do with, does anyone really I wondered? My head is resting near his chest and I’m already starting to doze off. His voice is a comfortable sound in my ears. I feel him unlatch my Pip Boy, he rolls slightly over me to put it on my bed side table. My light clicks off and he snugs a blanket around me. I’m pulled closer to him, my muscles are now relaxed my breathing slows, the sound of his heartbeat is in my ears and it lulls me to sleep. 

My Pip Boy alarm chimes softly. Crap, I forgot to turn it off last night. I wake up fully, and realize that I am under Brandis. His entire weight is pinning me to the mattress. His hands are iron grips on my wrists that are extended above my head. His legs were holding mine down. His head was resting on my shoulder, his stiff morning wood was zeroing in on it’s favourite target. Oh shit, this was a new level of restraint, just how bad was it last night? “It was bad Sola,” he murmurs startling me. I didn’t even know he was awake, or that I had even spoken aloud! “Brandis, I’m so sorry! I say, not intending to cry, but how can I not? My tears are slowly tracing down my face, I’ve totally disrupted this man’s life! I bullied him out of his bunker, dragged him across the ‘Wealth, and thrust him back into a life that apparently was OK sidelining a man who was BOS to the core and ready to serve. And I’m sure he was sick to death of all my tears too.  
My wrists were released, but I lay disconsolately quietly crying my head turned to the side. The soft kiss on my cheek, followed by another, and then a lick got my eyes to open. He was leaning over me, shirtless. The sight was impressive. He was smiling down at me shaking his head. “Do you remember when I told you that you saved me?” “That you showed me it was OK, to care again?” I nodded, not really ready to trust my voice just yet. “Well part of that caring I want to do is just for you.” “Whatever you need or how long you need it, I’ll be the one to make sure you have it.” My gentleman, my protector. I pulled him down on top of me again, he arranged himself around me, I stroked his arms and side, wherever I could reach. “Brandis?” I finally whispered, after a few moments of quiet togetherness. “Brandis?” I whispered again, raising my head to look at him. He was passed out, fell asleep like someone in true BOS fashion used to catching sleep when he could. I rolled him onto his back, pulled up the blanket and tucked him in. I kissed his forehead and slipped off the bed. My protector needed his rest.  
I puttered around our “quarters” and tidied up the dropped clothes. He would wear his uniform again so I fished it our from under the bed and folded it, laying it on his footlocker where he could find it easily. He was still out when I returned from a quick trip to stores for a fresh jumpsuit for myself for later. Proctor Teagan was nothing but sunshine and rainbows when he dealt with me now. I’m sure that purple eye had something to do with his change in attitude, but I didn’t dare ask about it. I tucked the clean jumpsuit in my foot locker under my shower kit for later. I still had on my jumpsuit from yesterday, and since Brandis was still asleep I might as well get a head start on the tear down. I head to the Garage strapping on my Pip boy, leaving him still laying in the same position I had originally left him. Poor tired man.  
I don’t know why I chose to go the longer way that morning to the Garage. I chose the stairs closest to our sleeping area, the ones by the ladder leading down to the Observation Deck, but I did. I walked down the long hall leading to the mess and for the first time in forever my Paladin would not be waiting there for me. A smugly spoken “Knight” caught my attention, and I stopped in the hall. Knight Captain Cade slithered out from behind his desk and made his way over to me. He looked into the mess hall and then down the hall behind me before came into the hall beside me. “What, no Paladin protector?” he said rudely. “Cut the crap sir,’ I said, “what do you want?” “Oh you know what I want” he said replying short of temper. I could see his hand twitching to grab me and muscle me into his clinic. “I need more blood samples from you.” “Your last visit was interrupted when you had that bad reaction.” Bad reaction my ass, the man was trying to drug me! I took a step back in readiness to flee and then an idea struck me. “Cade, if you want any further blood samples from me, I am going to need something from you.” That got his attention. With raised eyebrows he motioned us back into the clinic in the age old “after you” gesture. I barely suppressed a shudder as he made it impossible for me not to brush up against him in the door way. I was secretly relieved that there was no way for him to close us in the room together.  
He brushed past me on his way to his desk, rubbing himself on purpose on my posterior. He sat down, leaving me to stand in front of his desk, the supplicant to the king in his mini kingdom. I waited while he rearranged his already precisely laid out desktop. Finally with my patience wearing thin he looked up at me, greedy eyes boring holes. “You had something to discuss with me Knight?” I didn’t play his game, I just wanted out of here as fast as possible, so I began talking. “I am willing to commit to a weekly appointment where by you have my permission to draw one vial of blood to use as you see fit.” He perked right up in his seat. “I sense the But coming” was his reply. “But, indeed”, I said looking at him. “In return for these weekly visits, I want Paladin Brandis reinstated for active duty.” Cade sat back in his chair, fingers steepled in front of him. He was tapping them slowly, rhythmically, eyes staring into me. I remained passive standing in the “at ease” position I had seen Brandis use so many times. “I’m sure I could be convinced to release him for active duty, but I’m going to need more than one measly vial of blood from you.” The bastard knew that Brandis meant something to me, our pairing off was something of an enigma on the Prydwen. He knew what my request meant to me, as much as I knew what a steady supply of my blood would mean to him. We bartered, and it all ended with me now giving 5 regular sized vials each week in return for Cade’s paper work releasing Brandis back to active duty. He sprung to his feet all but vibrating in his eagerness to begin. I stepped back, both hands up “Woahing” him back to reality. “I’ll need to have Brandis back on active duty before I’ll set foot in here to honour our contract.” “If he gets yanked from active service for any reason, my voluntary donations stop.” Was that respect in Cade’s eyes? Oh, wait, nope, no, not respect, just greed.  
“I can’t get him back on the ground today Knight!”, he said making the Knight sound like a slur. “When the Paladin gets his orders to report, I will arrive here in your clinic, the morning of my next rest day.” I replied. “Then and only then will you have my permission to draw the 5 vials of blood.” “I will return the next rest day and so on, as long as I am stationed on the Prydwen.” “If I am off base, I won’t make a special trip in from the field for this.” “If you insist, I’ll let you explain to Maxon why I’ve gone off mission to accommodate your pet projects.” “I’ll leave the first move up to you Knight Captain.” And with that I turned smartly, and for the first time ever, I left a superior officers presence without showing due respect. I exited the clinic and all but bolted down the hall.


	13. High Flying fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's supposed to be a rest day, but with a long list of repairs that need to be done to her Power Armour, Sola is looking forward to a lot of greasy work. Even if her Paladin is delayed somewhat arriving to help her as he promised to do. Things pick up between them when Sole surprises Brandis with one of her Power armors concealed mods.
> 
> {-as always feel free to leave a comment! I would love to hear from you-}

I needed a shower!!!  
That fucking asshole Cade just makes me feel so unclean! Now if he came through with his end of the deal I would have to face him every rest day. But it was so worth it. Paladin Brandis deserved to get back in the game.

Brandis found me, elbows deep down the left leg of my power armor, sheepish grin on his face, hand behind his neck, he asked how things were going. My Paladin looked somewhat rested, his silver hair tussled from his mid morning sleep. I turned my head, both arms in up to my shoulders and smiled at him. “Peachy keen!’ was my reply. The Pip boy on the work bench bleeped when I made contact with the port near the bottom of the foot rest. “Finally!” I said with a satisfied smile. The screen started rolling numbers and readouts as I was backing my arms out of the tight spot. Brandis had bent over me, watching the screen, so when I came up I ended up hitting his chest with my back. His arms grabbed me reflexively and for a brief moment I was pinned to him. “Sorry Sola,” he whispered to me, standing up and releasing his arms. “Brat” I shot back and stood up after he released me. The garage was busy enough to make the simple fact that we were working together an anomaly. “What are you looking for in all of this?”he said waving his hand at the still active screen. “I’ve programmed the Pip to help me diagnose these exhaust ports.” “Usually they charge in between each use, but this left one is randomly not working.” So we spent the rest of the morning carefully tearing it down, cleaning it, checking contacts and rebuilding just the left leg. Proctor Ingram sailed by at least a dozen times, adding her two cents in, but mostly watching how everything went back together. “You said this was an in-field modification?” “Impressive Knight!” “Wait, you used what to make that?” she said that last comment a lot, but I knew she was making lists in her head of the supplies she was going to request from stores for her own mods.

The Pip boy chimed that it was lunch time, but we were so close to being done we dismissed it and kept working. The garage emptied, everyone filing out to eat. We were completely alone as we bolted the last protective plate in place. “This is one impressive suit you have made for yourself Knight.” Brandis said in honest appreciation. He had one hand resting on the shoulder of the unit, looking at the sleek black onyx paint job. “The color is unique.”he said “That, Paladin, I said gathering up the tools and re racking them, is another in-field change, this one inspired by you.” “He looked over at me, confused look on his face, “Me Sola?” “Yes Paladin,” I said using his title, while I wiped grease from my hands onto a shop rag. I walked over to him and placed my now clean hand on his black BOS officers uniform and slowly looked up at him with a small smile. “You,” I said again. He covered my hand with his and looked over at the Power armor again. “I really missed you, I said to him, “and when I needed to paint over some mods I had done, there was only one color choice for me.” He raised my hand to his lips and kissed my work roughened knuckles. “Sola I had no idea.” “What? I said to him playful smile on my face, “That you mean something to me?” He looked at me, surprised and pleased. “C’mon Brandis, I said changing the topic on him in a blink and asked him, “Wanna give it a try?” My head tilted toward the armor, standing there waiting. He looked incredulous, “You would let me drive your suit?” eyes lighting up. “Anytime, Brandis.” I replied honestly.  
I grabbed the fusion core and jammed it firmly into place. I cranked the handle and stepped back as the suit split open with a satisfying hiss. He stood behind me and peered inside, his first look at all the mods I had made inside. His hand traced the increased padding for the back piece and took in all the led lighting softly glowing to make a reduced light entry a lot easier. I was bent down adjusting the foot rests to his longer leg length so when I went to stand up, I bumped into him again. This time when his arms went around me he didn’t back away. “Sola, this is more than impressive” he said, grinding himself against me. He was hard, I’m not sure what from, our close quarters, or the mods, or all of it. I didn’t care. He felt good grinding against me there. His strong hands pinning me close. I stood up all the way and leaned back against him, shifting my hips grinding my ass back against his erection. I leaned forward and reached in to adjust the arms, but because he was pinning me against him I couldn’t reach all the way. “OK, cowboy, I said to him, you’re going to have to reach in there and make these adjustments for yourself.” He chuckled, and let me go, reaching into the arms, commenting on how he liked how I had them padded. I moved to the side and let him set the arm length, and put my hands on his hips to “help stabilize him” was my reasoning. He quickly adjusted the other arm, and turned his head to look at me. “Go, on” I said to him, “get in there and tell me what you think.” 

He stepped in, suit swaying slightly with his graceful entry, the back hissed into place and locked down. I saw the led lights inside turn off and the suits power systems rev up. I walked in front of him looking up further to meet where his eyes were now behind the helmet. “Alright Paladin, I said to him, “How about you move out and see how it feels.” He started walking, basic movements, forward, backward, kneeling, jumping. He sprinted from one end of the garage to the other and came to a sliding stop in front of me. “Show off.” I called him. “This power armor is amazing Knight.” he said, excitement in his voice. “Hey Paladin,” I said snagging his attention from the inner HUD workings. “Yes Knight?” He replied looking down at me. “Do you see that green colored “up arrow” on the HUD?” He acknowledged that he did. “Press and hold” was all I said. I stepped back from the suit as the hidden back panels popped open and the concealed jet pack fired. He was quickly lifted from the garage deck and shot upwards in a perfect arc to the level above. I could hear him roaring in the suit on lift off. His feet cleared the railing and his natural grace saved him from face-planting when he landed. I stood where I was, waiting. Sure enough he turned around, ran at the railing, jumped and used the jets to slow his fall back to the garage deck in front of me. He walked over and still in the suit pinned me gently against the chest piece. He then fired the jets again. Up we went, a little slower due to my additional weight, he sustained the flight a bit longer and landed lighter. My Paladin was a quick study! I tipped my head back and laughed, arms out to the sides, my hair had fallen out of it’s bun and was streaming behind me. He landed on the deck and started to sprint in the suit toward our sleeping area. He transferred me to both arms and I lay across them, damsel in distress style, laughing. He slid to a stop in front of our beds, grinding deep grooves in the metal of the deck and tipped me out of his arms to roll onto the mattress, still laughing, hair flying across the pillows. The suit backed up three steps and cracked open with a hiss, the environmental systems releasing their seals. He jumped out and pounced on me. He grabbed my face with both hands and kissed me with a hungry passion. He pulled back long enough to gasp out “That Was Fucking Amazing!” and was back to mauling my face with his. He was on his knees over me, so I slid back slowly so we could maintain this kiss. It was s fucking hot one. He got the idea and slid with me and was stretched out pressing himself against me in no time. His hands were everywhere. I spread my legs to feel him closer and he slid down to accommodate me. Grinding his cock against me.  
He broke the kiss, “Sola, I need in you, I need to feel you around me! Flying in your suit, smelling of you, I just want to fuck you, feel you, taste you. He had pulled me up to sitting and was busy with my zipper and collar. The jumpsuit melted off me in no time under his clever hands. My tank top was flung off and I lay down so he could slide my underwear down my legs. He sprang up from his knees to standing on the bed and did a shimmy dance above me, his suit slithering off so fast it was impressive. “Oh, Paladin!” I said clapping my hands together when I saw he went commando, his cock springing free, standing at attention. I would have to file that detail away for later. He literally dropped to his knees between my spread legs, jump suit chucked away. He wasted no time started teasing my sensitive clit with his fingers, arching my back with pleasure. He bent down and licked me. Tongue delving into me, before swiping up my folds and flicking my clit. He did that a number of times, hands moving to my thighs splitting them wider. He lifted his head from my pussy and crawled up to kiss me deeply. Our tongues twirling my taste around. He settled his hips down and his cock found my opening and he slowly filled me. I was groaning into our kiss with how he stretched me, filling me slowly. “Oh Sola, he said, you feel so damn hot, so damn good. He pulled his cock back, almost popping out, but then he thrust back in to the hilt in one swift move. My back arched in response. “Oh! Brandis!”I hissed in pleasure. He picked up his pace, long hard cock filling and splitting me wide. He slowly destroyed my sense of control, taking me to the edge of orgasm and letting me slide back so many times. He changed our positions, I was on my knees, then on top grinding while he palmed my breasts, I was then on my stomach while he fingered my ass and fucked my pussy, then he flipped me on my side again, fucking me from behind. He had cum so many times, each time flooding my pussy, or mouth, or breasts. He slid the tip into my ass and teased me pulling back, and then in, back and then in again. I tried to arch my ass so he would slide in all the way, but it earned me a sharp smack. “Patience Sola” he grunted out between his micro thrusts, pleasure sensations destroying me further. He licked the cream that was expelled from me, and when he finally let me cum, he played it out, dragged the sensation along until I was constricting so hard I was squirting out everything he had shot into me. He was still buried deep in my pussy, riding out the contractions of my core as it bathed him in our cream, his back arched as he released again from the sensations of my orgasm.  
I lay there, floppy with exhaustion on my back, my legs spread wide, he pulled out and pumped his cock with his fist and came all over my pussy. He rubbed it in with his other hand and bent down to lick me again. I didn’t think I had another orgasm in me, but he brings me around again, his tongue dancing over my clit as he laps up our cream, my back arching body shaking as he suckled my sweet spot, drawing out this one too. He sits up and one last time enters me, a few quick deep thrusts and he’s cumming again. This time he collapses on top of me, heart hammering in his chest, breathing hard, his eyes close and he almost falls asleep right away. This is the best time, he’s laying on me his weight pinning my tired muscles down, his hard cock still buried deep, his arms encircle me and he reflexively thrusts in again. I try to roll him on his side a few times before I’m successful. My leg is now over him , he’s still buried deep inside me, his arms haven’t let go. I know he won’t be passed out like this forever. His hips are still thrusting slowly, I can feel his cock still pulsing inside me. It’s slowing somewhat. He always takes forever on his last orgasm.  
He calls it “staying connected”. He says it’s a trick some BOS guys learn to do, where you remain penetrated as long as possible after orgasm and deliver as much, (payload?) as possible. It takes a while to master this technique, and Brandis seems to have done just that.  
Maybe this was the reason he was so popular when he returned? The rumors about him and his abilities must have returned with his arrival. That would explain why he was constantly propositioned. And then I ruined it all by literally falling into his arms, he had made it clear from that point on who he held a candle for, even if I had no fucking clue that’s what he was saying at the time. I pulled the blanket over us and cuddled up against his chest, the glow from our combined holo-tags was a soft light. I closed my eyes and fell asleep nestled in his arms.


	14. *Bonus Chapter!* Post-nap Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brandis wakes first after their high flying fun ends in a post-coital nap and he realizes something very important.  
> This is another short but sweet bonus chapter.

-Brandis-  
I came to, god knows how long after that epic fuck. She had rolled us on our sides and thrown a blanket over us, my traitor cock was still buried deep inside her, even if it had softened somewhat. Oh, wait, I gasp as I can feel it start to elongate. Hungry fucker was hardening again! “Sola, forgive me, but I can’t seem to fuck you enough!” I whispered into her hair. Her leg was cocked up on my hip and she was curled against my chest facing me. Her hair was flung out behind her, a beautiful dark splash against the bed. Those amazingly soft breasts were pressed against my chest. Oh shit, she’s so wet, so hot against my cock! I hitch my arm under knee and start to slowly, slowly fuck my Knight.   
How many times did I wake up without her, painful raging hard on screaming for release. And then when she came back, how many times did I end up pressed against her heat or buried in her delicious ass crack? And now how many times have I sunk my cock into her like this? Waking her in this manner is just a bonus, it's happened almost every time we have woken since our first time together and I cant get enough. I cum hard, and I want in her again. I’m so completely and totally gone for her.   
Her core ripples and grabs at me as she stretches and slowly awakens. I greet her with a deep thrust and a soft gentle kiss. She moans in my mouth as my fingers dance on her clit. I move my fingers down her slick slice and feel where we are connected. The wet slide of my cock is bathed with the cream from our fuck hours ago, it coats my fingers. I can’t resist it’s taste, I pop them into my mouth and lick them clean. She pulls me down for another kiss, hungry tongue sweeping my mouth to share our taste. I pull back “Oh, yeah baby, you like that?” I say using one of her expressions. She nods her head and arches her back once, twice and I get the hint and fuck her a little faster. My fingers return to massage her clit. “Oh Paladin,” she whispers, sleepy still from our post-fuck nap. I thrust hard and fast making slapping noises as I drive my cock in deep into her. Oh fuuuuck this feels so good! The end of my dick explodes, dumping a huge load into her. I’m caught off guard by how hard I’m cumming, my balls feel like they are drawing up. I keep thrusting my spurting dick into her both hands on her waist, pulling her back onto my thrusts, her breasts delightfully bouncing. My thrusts are taking longer to recall. I’m in and pushing hard, I know I’m done, I can feel my exhausted dick start to soften and slide out.  
There is a huge part of me that wants to keep going, keep fucking. She’s reaching up to me, she can tell I’m spent long before my fuck starved brain can. Her hands pull me down to lay beside her, my head resting on her shoulder. My cock slides out of her, it’s finally spent, after how long, how many ejaculations?  
“Brandis”, she says after we lay together quietly for a bit, sweaty and completely satisfied. “I think I could really use a shower, I’m sticky all over, thanks largely to you.” She’s not mad, she just wants me to come with her. She’s never been to the showers without me. That pre-war part of her won’t bend on this issue, and to be honest I really don't mind. She’s getting better but she does still find it uncomfortable when the place is full. “That sounds like a good idea Sola”, I say to her, pulling her back close again, all those sticky parts meeting. “Can we just lay here for a bit though, and when I can feel my legs again, we’ll go, OK?” I ask into her hair. “OK Paladin, she says snuggling into me giggling a bit. “Um Brandis,” she says laughing again. “I think we’ll need to get clean sheets again too” I can’t help it, I start to laugh with her. This will be the third set we have requisitioned this week! I kissed her forehead and slide my hand down her backside, pulling her close to me top to bottom. My soft cock resting against her now, for once not seeking her out again.  
“Sola”, I say my voice thick with emotion, my eyes drawn over her shoulder to her impressive MK6 suit standing guard quietly over us. “Only you make my heart soar, literally and physically.”


	15. Duty Calls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cade is motivated and wants to secure those bloods samples and Brandis remains unaware of the deal Sola has made on his behalf. Good news comes in plain white envelopes!

It was three days later when Cade’s end of the bargain came through. Brandis and I were eating breakfast, having risen early to tackle a new emergency flight mod idea for my power armour before my shift began, when a Scribe approached the table with a plain white envelope, his name was printed on the front. Sir! The scribe fairly shouted when he stood in front of Brandis, The whole Mess hall went quiet. The Scribe stood at attention envelope held out within reach. Brandis looked at me, and then the envelope and then me again a few times before he gently took it. The Scribe, saluted again and smartly turned heel and returned to, wherever it was they came from.   
Brandis sat there looking at the envelope, turning it over and over in his hands. My heart was racing, and I just knew if I Iooked over my shoulder toward the Clinic, I would see Cade leaning against the wall, watching it all go down. So I didn't turn around, instead I smiled at Brandis and watched him open the envelope with shaking hands.  
He unfolded the single sheet of paper, I could almost read the words as he mouthed them while his eyes moved over the page. Those eyes, widened and a huge smile lit up his face. “I’m to report to the wall! Sola, I’ve been relisted, I’m back on duty!” His elation was a beautiful thing to see. He passed me the paper, and I read the where and whom to report to and at the bottom under the checked box ‘Fit for duty” was Cade’s bold signature.   
He was watching my face, so I beamed a huge smile for him. Brandis! I’m so happy for you! This is amazing! “Look, we’re scheduled on the same rotation for this afternoon too!” I passed him back the sheet, as it was also a requisition order from stores for a whole list of items. “Sola I have so much to get ready for before I report! I need to go get in line at Stores!” Brandis said this standing abruptly practically vibrating with joy. I laughed at his enthusiasm and made the shoo” gesture at him. “I’ll join you in a minute go, go! I’ll clean up here and meet you there”. “Go!” I said with a huge smile. I don’t think he heard me as he was already turning around eyes scanning the paper, running over the list of supplies again. He didn’t even complain that the work was beneath his rank, he was just joyous that he was going to be contributing again.  
I took a deep breath, it was time for me to face Cade.

My next rest day was four days away, so I walked to the clinic confident I would be leaving intact this time. I dropped our trays off and walked over to the clinic I knew he would be there, waiting. Bastard was behind his desk, fingering a syringe. I took the least hostile approach I could. “Thank you K.C. Cade” I began, “I will report to you in the am in four days time on my next rest day, for my part of the bargain.” “Good” was all he said, victory dancing in his eyes. I turned to go and he stopped me with a question. “So how does your Paladin like his new assignment?” He said the “your Paladin” like he was spitting something foul from his mouth. I know he was expecting me to scream and yell and carry on about jobs befitting his rank, but the stupid bastard couldn’t have placed Brandis in any better spot to succeed. “He’s very excited to report for his first day of duty.” was my calm reply. “Thank you again K.C. Cade.” And with that forced gratitude and pleasant smile, I left the clinic and made my way to my exuberant Paladin waiting in line at Stores.

I had seen Brandis kitted out before on our walk back from the Bunker, but that was nothing compared to how he looked now. He was ready for this, his confidence shone through. I had helped him to get dressed, more so I could spend a few more minutes with him than anything else. Yep, he made these uniforms look good! I gave his tight backside a smack and drew him down to me for a kiss. We had just exited the vertibird, me on my way to R&D and him, boots on the ground for the first time in almost two months armed and ready to report. He pulled me back in for another kiss. This one was longer, when he finished he kept me pinned against him, his eyes locked on mine a very feral smile on his face. “Go get em’ Tiger” I said softly. We parted after another quick kiss him jogging to the wall and me walking to R&D,

I will honestly say that my focus was not 100% that day. The Scribes knew – hell everyone knew that the Silver Fox was back on duty, walking the walls. I slipped out a few times to the building’s outer doors to see him standing at his post. It was for once a sunny day so that silver hair of his made him stand out in the crowd. He happened to look back once and caught me staring at him. He turned and saluted to me, then he turned back and continued his watch. I beat it back to my own job and tried my best to forget about him. A few hours later I had the Pip boy diagnosing a problem with a motherboard when one after another the Scribes stood at attention and saluted. The most Senior of my scribes announced “Paladin on Deck!”. With my back to the door I was the last to see that we had a visitor. I stood up, turned around and there he was, standing, Laser rifle cocked over his shoulder saluting back to the Scribes. “At ease.” was his reply. All three stood down and awaited their next order. I on the other hand ran over to him and jumped up to wrap my arms around his neck. I’ll give him credit, he caught me one armed, never dropping his weapon. More than one of the scribes were blushing at my bold display. I hung from him head pressed against his shoulder as he squeezed me tight. “Sola”, he whispered, “With your permission ma'am I’m going to fuck you raw tonight!” “That sounds like a plan soldier.” I whispered back. He smelled of sunshine, fresh air and honest sweat. I rubbed my face in it, eyes closed, savouring the moment. He broke the spell when he bent down and placed my feet on the floor. “As you were!”, was his order he barked to the Scribes. They all burst from their waiting positions into action. He bent down and kissed me, a quick teasing thing. “Sola, I’m doing rounds of the buildings and shorelines, on my next rotation through, be ready for inspection. “Inspection?” I asked him. “Heh, you’ll see.” he said, raising my knuckles to his lips winking at me as his goodbye. And off he marched.  
I turned around to get back to work, catching all three of my scribes staring at me. “What?” I said, making them all smile knowingly. “Back to work you slackards, the show’s over!” I said this with a big smile watching them all return to their own work grinning at me. True to his word, Brandis returned about two hours later. He called for an inspection, and I had no idea what to expect. The Scribes did apparently. They began tidying up their stations and then exited the work space. I looked at each of them as they passed me, none of them said a word to me. The last one to leave closed the gate and disappeared around the corner. Brandis was at my side and I was in his arms so fast I didn’t even see him move! His hard cock grinding against my ass, hands roaming all over me.  
“Sola,” he said, growling out my name, “We have maybe 20 minutes before they will miss me.” He didn’t need to ask twice. I grabbed his hand and we headed back to the storage area, all racks and stacks and containers piled up. Lots of places to duck out of sight. These stupid jumpsuits are a pain in the ass for this kind of quickie, but he made short work of my zipper and collar and was bending me over a convenient stack of crates his long hard cock finding my opening and filling me. It was a hot fast bang. He was so hard! I reached my hand back between my legs and encircled his cock with my fingers. Feeling him slide in and out of me. The thought of getting caught just drove us even faster. He came so hard, long cock thrusting deep, dumping his load inside me. “When this slides out of you later, he growled lips near my ear, I want you to think of me. Hands on my hips he thrust a few more times and withdrew, still hard cock oozing cum. Our time was almost up. I stood up, and turned around to see him struggling to tuck his erection away. I reached out, took his cock in my hand and pulled him over closer to me. Before he could question my mouth descended over his sensitive tip. He sucked air in through his teeth as I kept swallowing him down. “Oh Fuck!” he barked, as I cupped his balls and began to bob my head. I licked the tip of his dick at the top of my arc, and massaged his sac at the same time. My other hand grasped his shaft and I pumped him while my tongue began his undoing. His hands found my hair and his fingers dug in. The micro thrusts of his hips and his quickened breath told me I was doing something right. He began panting, “I’m, I’m, I’m, I’m, thrusting his hips harder with each word. I swallowed him deep and let him cum. I don’t know how he kept his feet. He was shaking after his release, and when I backed off his cock, he was actually softening. Our time was really almost up now. He looked satisfied enough to continue his shift. I looked up at him with an evil smile. “Sola, that was, oh I want you to do that again!” I stood up laughing and pulled him down for a kiss. His greedy tongue delving into my mouth. “Mmmmm, I taste so good in you”, he murmured against my lips. We had to hurry now, so we both stuffed ourselves back into our jumpsuits. “Brandis” I say gasping as he licks my neck, gently nipping a trail back up, my body responding to his tongue play. “If you don’t go soon, you’ll have to inspect me again, right away!” “Woman!” he growls in my ear, his voice sending shivers down my spine. “I’m ready for you now!” It was my turn to gasp as he pressed my hand against his rock hard cock. “The scribes will be returning shortly”, I said, hand tracing the length of him under his jumpsuit. He incoherently growls something, turned to kiss me deeply one more time, and then hearing their footfalls returning he quickly said with a wink “Follow my lead”. He marched smartly toward the gate, I followed his example the required three steps behind. We breezed into the common work area as the Scribes scrambled in and stood at attention. “Excellent work Knight!” Brandis said in his best commander voice. I snapped him a salute and stood, like the Scribes, waiting at attention. He surveyed them, and then me, and said, “At ease soldiers”. “Keep up the good work, this area is secure.” With that they saluted him again, and he returned the gesture, he winked in my direction and then said, “Knight, please accompany me”. I followed him out the gate and around the corner. At the gate, I turned around and saw my scribes, still at attention, salutes in place, huge smiles in place. I gave them “the look” and released them to their work.

Brandis was waiting for me, out of sight and pulled me to him, kissing me again. He pulled back far too soon and smiled that elated smile. I reached up and touched that chiselled faced, he closed his eyes and moved his head into my hand. “Knight, you best set aside, oh, the whole evening for some celebration time tonight. “Paladin, as long as a hot shower is on that list, I’m all yours.” I replied. He kissed me again, whispering against my lips how he was the luckiest bastard ever. I whispered back, “Then kiss me one last time before you go.” “Yes Ma’am” he said complying with my request.

The vertibird pad was packed with Scribes and Scouts waiting transport up to the Prydwen. It would be a while before we were all taken up. Which was fine because I didn’t see Paladin Brandis anywhere. I was sure his shift ended the same time mine did. I was scanning the crowd when hands encircled my waist and a soft kiss was dropped onto my shoulder. “Knight” He said by way of greeting. Hiis lips near my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “Paladin” I replied, arms covering his as I leaned back against him and looked up. His hair was windblown, giving him a rakish air. His crisp green eyes were dancing merrily. “How was your first day back to work?” I asked turning around so I could see his face. “Oh I can’t complain.” was his calm cool reply. “I walked the wall, I engaged with the enemy, I had a rendezvous with a beautiful woman, and the best part of the day is still to come.” “Oh?” I said coyly. Fox indeed, he just stood above me scanning the now empty vertibird launch pad, smiling that shit eating grin of his. The man with the world in his hands. He squeezed my bottom and gestured to the now empty veritbird awaiting us.


	16. Parting is just sorrow, not sweet, not even a little bit.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duty called to Brandis, and now it's Sola's turn. Danse returns to the Prydwen and tells Sola to prepare for a two day mission. After weeks together, our two lovebirds deal with having to spend some time apart.

We didn’t make it to the mess hall for a good long while. We both decided that the shower would come first, so up we went to get our kits, well then the clothes came off and he smelled so great, and his hands were so warm and strong and that cock of his was standing at attention again and I just had to have it inside me! Soooo, yeah. Delays! They happen.   
We showered after we took care of his vertical problem and because we came so late the whole place was practically ours. Hot water, handsome man, no audience, oh that was a dangerous combination. We took our time and enjoyed ourselves. He insisted on washing my hair, which naturally led to him washing the rest of me. I told him what was good for the goose was good for the gander, and that earned me another of his confused looks. I shook my head at yet another good expression I had to toss in the crapper! I told him that if he could do it for me I could do it for him. And directed him to sit.   
We had to hurry to the Mess. We burst into the room laughing at some stupid and very crude joke he had heard on the wall when I looked up and there after so many weeks absent, was Paladin Danse. He was standing still in the middle of the room, his back was turned to us, but he had heard my voice. He turned around and smiled in that tightly controlled way of his. “Knight, Paladin”, he said to both of us. He gestured us over to the quiet side of the Mess, we followed the power armour clad Paladin.   
“Let me begin, by saying Welcome back Paladin Brandis, the Brotherhood is strengthened with your return.” Brandis, smiled and shook his hand and thanked him politely. “Knight, he said, turning to face me, “We have an assignment that will take us off base for a few days. Maxon has a lead we need to follow up on.” “Be uited up and ready to move out tomorrow by 0700h.” Typical Danse, light on the details, but heavy on the Duty. “Yes Paladin Danse, I replied, saluting him awkwardly, not that he expected that from me. Taking that as his cue to leave he turned around and walked out of the Mess toward the garage. Proctor Ingram already claiming his attention.  
“Ok, so what do you need to do before tomorrow morning?” Brandis asked hands on my shoulders. “Everything, of course”, was my reply. The growl from my stomach was timed to perfection. It’s plaintive sound cracking us both up, How about we eat? I say, laughing as we moved over to get our trays.

We ate with our typical speed and then made tracks for the garage. My power armour suit was basically ready to go, he just wanted to run another diagnostic on the new program we installed. While he tinkered I went over to stores and made my requests of Proctor Teagan. He filled my order quickly with no complaints even when I made a request for an additional jumpsuit. I returned to my power armour stand as Brandis was wrapping up the diagnostic, he said he was very happy with the results. He pulled out my gun Survivor’s Special, the one he had given me and I gasped when I saw what further work he had done on it. It was now painted black to match my non regulation coloured power armour. My Knight stripes were slashed over it as well. He had amp’ed up the scope and he told me he had increased the distance the gun could fire. Knowing my love of the long distance shot, he had mounted the best recon scope he could find, barter or trade for on the Prydwen. It was a thing of beauty. “Brandis!” was all I said, as I set down my supplies on the work bench and took the weapon from him. “Oh this scope is a beauty, I said, sighting down it, taking in the details on the Scouts face who had just climbed up the ladder from the observation deck. “I thought you might like the improvements”, he said smiling down at me. “I love it!” I told him. He had been busy while I was waiting in line and the diagnostic was running, I could smell fresh paint and saw that he had painted my Knights bars on my shoulder. In red, my favourite colour. “Badass!” I said pointing at it. “That’s good?” he said, looking at me confused. “Is that like when you say sick, but what you mean is that something is really good?” “Yes Brandis” I say smiling up at him. “You lived in a very confusing time Sola,” was his reply as he shook his head.   
I stuffed supplies in all the small pockets I had added to the power armour. A lady never knows when she’ll have need of a few specific items so I made sure all my suit's squirrel holes were carefully packed. I ran my hand over Survivor’s Special again admiring the new paint job. ‘Brandis, this is a thing of beauty, I said practically crooning over the weapon. I just wish I had time for some target practice with it before we head out.” I should know better then to make a wish near this man. “Sola, if you want to we can get in some target shooting tonight.” he said seriously. “Brandis, I said to him, “Why do I get the feeling you had this planned all along?” Sly Fox indeed, had that smug smile on his face. “Well?” was his reply, smile huge now with his offer. I picked up the gun and slung it over my shoulder. “I’m game, let’s do this.” I replied.

We ended up on the beach, hitting cans and bottles off the wing of one of the downed planes. We walked up to the impromptu range and everything was lined up already ready to go. I looked at him with a confused look on my face. “it was my idea to set this up so we can start teaching the Scouts basic weapon handling skills.” he said. He knew my thoughts about children serving on the Prydwen, but I also knew what the Brotherhood’s philosophy was on the matter. “Sola, he said, hands on my shoulder, his own version of Survivor’s Special strapped across his wide shoulders, “if we are ever overrun on the ground, it pays to have all of our members ready to defend the base, themselves even.” These kids are basically helpless and dependent on us to keep them safe. I just thought if they knew how to reload, and fire properly, how to handle a weapon, clean it, care for it and store it, we would all be further ahead. I thought about it for a second, and the truth of his reasoning for this day and age was easy to see. I remembered crawling out of the vault with a 10mm hand gun and pockets stuffed full of ammo, and very little skill or know how. I had to figure it out on my own, and well, I would have loved then to have a Brandis show me the ropes. So he stood behind me, close behind me and helped me to sight in the scope. I fired and the first shot was high, we adjusted the scope again. Try another shot love,” he said. Using a term of endearment for the first time, and my heart squeezed a little. I sighted down the weapon and pulled the trigger. The Nuka bottle shot off the plane’s wing and into oblivion. I couldn’t help it, I jumped with a loud “Yes!”. “Ok, again,” he said, gathering me to him. There were 10 targets, 9 remained, and I pinged each one of them one after the other off the plane’s wing. “Nice shooting,” he said quietly in my ear. “Let’s go set up some more, it’s my turn”, he said grinning as wide as I was. The sun was almost at zenith by the time we found enough bottles and cans for him to knock off. He walked back further then where he had me set up, and knelt down. One knee on the ground, the other raised to support his elbow. I stood behind him, my weapon slung over my shoulder as I watched him calmly one after the other take down the targets we set up. Fluid, graceful, lethal. He looked up at me from his crouched position and I couldn’t resist. I bent down and kissed him. “Well done soldier.” I said to him as I pulled back after the soft kiss. “Thank you ma’am” he said, small sad smile on his face. He stood with that easy power of his and captured my face in his hands and kissed me more thoroughly. He pulled back from my face, growling slightly as he reached down to adjust his rising problem. “Poor Paladin, I said tempted to rub my hands on the tightened fabric at the front of his suit. Instead I suggested we take a walk to the point. I had not been outside the Prydwen for anything other than missions in forever, and I just wanted to extend my time with him. He held out his hand and connected thus we made our way through the wreckage to the water’s edge.

I saw many signs of struggles on the beach, the water front used to be crawling with mierlurks and their nests, but since the Prydwen arrived they had become an endangered species around here. Turns out, they’re just as delicious as crabs in my day. The Brotherhood hunts them regularly for food, the fact they double as great training tools is just a bonus. Our walk to the point was like any other I had on any beach in my time. Lovely. The warm wind was blowing, the sun was shining. I was so tempted to suggest a swim, but not knowing what was out there kept my feet planted firmly on the sand, IN my boots. We stopped by a broken wing section, guns still on our backs, we climbed up. It was so warm here. The sun heating the surface to a comfortable temperature. He sat down first, and indicated he wanted me to sit in between his legs. All the good for me, I got to lean against him. I set my gun to the side, within reach. He kept his in place on his back. He kissed the top of my head and wrapped his arms around me as we sat together quietly. I leaned back against him and sighed a happy sigh. I could feel his heart beat. My hair had come undone from the tie, so I sat up and loosened it. I intended to just tidy it and quickly tie it back up again, but he made a happy sound and started to gather it up for me, dividing it into three’s and braiding it. He took it apart and did it again, running his fingers down my scalp, sending little shivers down my back as he worked. “If I had a brush Sola, I would brush your hair for you.” he said quietly, intent on his braiding. “Oh now you tell me!” I say groaning. “I love it when my hair is brushed, it just feels so good”, I say. “I’ll have to remember that for next time,” he said, face close to my ear. I turned around, my long hair slipping through his fingers to spread across my back. The wind blowing it so that when I turned to face him it was blown over my shoulders, our faces now surrounded by it. I sat on his lap and leaned forward, my hair still making us a private space. He pulled me down for a kiss, a long, slow tangling of tongues, gliding of hands, contact from his hardened length making me wet. “Paladin?”, I whispered his name as a question, my lips grazing his as we continued kissing. “Yes Knight?” he whispered back. “Paladin, I have an ache.” I said, grinding myself downward slightly. He hissed appreciatively at the increased pressure. “I might be able to help you”, he growled out. Hands already unzipping my jumpsuit. He peeled it down my arms, just past my breasts, but didn’t go any further than that. He grabbed the material behind my back and bound it in his hand, my arms pinned to my sides. He pulled down on it, bowing my back slightly, bringing my breasts in line with his mouth. “Mmmm, mine!” He said, taking one nipple into his mouth, drawing on it firmly, puckering it, then doing the same to the other. His other free hand squeezing then pinching and rolling the other nipple as he tongued and sucked on the opposite one. I was left gasping from this bold move of his. He was greedy, drawing on my nipples, making them so hard and long from the strength of his suction. He pulled back his head smacking his lips, “Oh you taste so good Sola!” His eyes wide, tongue licking his lips. He pulled back on the material again and twisted, bringing the other breast in line and locked onto that one the same way he had done the first. This time his other hand went behind my back, grabbed the knot of fabric and he exchanged hands, that free hand now rolled and pinched the other breast while he sucked on my opposite nipple, licking it then drawing on it again. He popped off the nipple, letting me go at the same time, I lost my balance as my hands were still bound and for a brief moment was tipping backward. He caught me, naughty man, and helped to lay me down, peeling my suit off as he went. With my arms now free, I reached up to his collar. He dodged away from me. “No”, he said softly, wicked smile on his face. Ok, he wants to be in control, I have no problem with that and give him what he wants. I lay back down on the warm wing section as he stripped my legs bare. He didn’t toss the jumpsuit too far, but it was out of my reach. I lay there, completely naked his hands lightly running down my stomach, tracing over the scars and the rounded belly I hadn’t been able to shake. He followed the scars down to my mound, hands dipping to either side of my centre, he spread me wide. He kissed my belly, my inner thighs, licked them too. Then without preamble he hunkered down and used his lips and tongue on my cunt. I thought I was wet before! He took me to the edge and let me fall back so many times, I was shaking, begging for release. He used fingers high and low, but never let me cum. He explored my ass and found me willing, but never gave me release there either. Somehow in all of this his jumpsuit was removed to the waist, his straining cock freed. He wasted no time now, sliding himself into me. My channel was very wet and very willing. I groaned out loud as he filled me completely like no other had before. He pulled back out slowly, then filled me up again. He was shaking from the effort this slow pace demanded. “Oh just fuck me already!” I said, teeth clenched, needy for release. “As the lady wishes”, he said stabbing forward, arching my back in pleasure as he made contact with my cervix. Again and again he drove into me, his pace quickening with each thrust forward. I spread my legs as wide as I could, grabbing them and pulling down, the slight pain adding a delicious edge to his slaughter of my pussy. He was panting now, each thrust an exhale, each withdraw an inhale, over and over. I raised my hips to meet his thrusts, my breasts bouncing wildly. He came first, back arching toward me, his powerful climax driving him forward, hot cum filling me with each thrust. He went deeper this time then he ever had, connecting with my cervix with every down stroke, pinning me to the wing hips rotating as he shuddered. The Silver Fox was using his tricks again to draw out his orgasm. Not that I blamed him. Two days apart after every day together for weeks, was going to feel like forever. He hadn’t forgotten about my needs. His shudders calming, his cock still very much erect, he began to expertly massage my clit. He leaned forward, kissing me, still hard cock slowly sliding back and fourth in my very slick pussy. After all the teasing I was not long before my back arched up and my own orgasm claimed me. He kept fucking me through it. His dick head buried deep as my greedy cervix spasmed to reach for him. It was a very deep feeling orgasm, very satisfying that left me groaning in pleasure. And when I could relax after it passed he lay down behind me, holding me tight. He had reluctantly withdrawn from me to shift us around, but when we resettled he fingered my pussy open and slid h is cock back inside me. Slow thrusts still slowly stirring the result of our lovemaking around. Most of which was being pumped out to run down between us. I was thankful for the warmth of the sun above us, the wing under us, as well as my Paladin behind me. Content we lay together, his hands rubbing my arms, kissing my head. “I’m going to miss you Sola”, he said finally. I gathered his arm around me and held him tight. “I’m not looking forward to being away either Brandis.” I told him quietly. We lay like that together for a long while. Connected together.

I reached for my jumpsuit, the wind chilling me finally. His cock had completely softened, and when I moved a little it slid out of me in a wet gush. “I giggled, and made a squishing sound with my mouth, he started laughing and soon we were both in stitches. I kicked my legs into my jumpsuit, only to notice it was inside out, and this made me laugh even harder. I sat on the broken wing, naked as the day is long as he came my my rescue yet again, his jumpsuit tied around his hips so it wouldn’t slip down, as he turned my suit outside right. He held a hand out for me and pulled me to my feet when I took it. He held the jumpsuit open for me and I climbed in. I gathered up my hair and he zipped me up. I returned the favour for him, kissing his back before I closed his zipper. He sighed and turned around, holding out his hand to me. I took it and bent to retrieve my gun, he did the same and we stepped off the wing and walked back to the Prydwen.

0645h found me in my Power Armour, on the deck of the Prydwen, Brandis at my side, standing at ease, tho neither of us felt it. We had spent the rest of our last evening just being together. We ate a late supper, had a quick shower and then went back to our sleeping area so I could pack the last of what was needed. After that we climbed into bed and just spent time together. I was reading a novel I had scavenged from an old book store when he asked me to read out loud to him. And so we spent our evening, trading the book back and fourth between us, reading chapters to each other. While he read in that beautiful bass voice of his I would lay on him, and when it was my turn, he would lay on me while I sat up and read. My Pip boy chimed with a warning that there was ten minutes before lights out. We both couldn’t believe how fast the evening had gone. In truth we were both dreading the morning. He was reading at the time so he reached over and set the Pip to wake us early enough for me to have a quick shower before my departure. Then we snuggled together under the blanket, content to just hold each other. I wanted to tell him so many things, I wanted to feel him hard inside me again, I wanted another 5 days to just take in this beautiful man, but duty calls. So we held each other close and let sleep take us.

The Vertibird drops, the blades catch the air and we’re being lifted up and away from the Prydwen. Brandis has managed to hang on to the railing at the end of the drop site. My arm is lifted in farewell. I know he can’t wave back otherwise he’ll be ripped from the platform by the back wash of air. I can’t see him any longer, but I imagine he’ll stay there until our vertibird is out of sight. The com system cuts in, interrupting my morose train of thought. It’s time to focus on the present. I lift my head and prime the mini gun in my hands. Danse’s voice cuts in. “Knight, our mission will take us to the furthest reach of the commonwealth where we are to clear out Super mutants from.....” I didn’t really care where we were going, I knew when we got there we would roust out the mutants from wherever they were so Scribes could go in and gather anything useful. “Knight, it’s a standard sweep and clear operation”. “This building apparently has value to the Brotherhood, so we are to make sure we keep the collateral damage to a minimum.” That made me smile, my love of the Mini-nuke was common knowledge. “Yes Paladin,” I said to him. “I guess it’s a good thing I only packed frag mines and my Survivor’s Special”. “There’s the Knight I’ve traveled with before!” he said turning to spin up his mini gun, firing on the raiders shooting at us from the rooftops. I spun up my own gun and lost myself in the routine of duty.


	17. Two Days with Danse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sola and Paladin Danse are back working together and are sent out on a routine overnight mission. The objective is to clear out established mutant hostiles and secure the location for exploration by Scribes. Sola is not enthused about having to leave the security of Brandis' side, but duty calls and she must answer.

The telltale signs of a super mutant occupation were every where. Subtle creatures they were not. The stench even at this distance away was enough to warn anyone with a brain to keep away from the place. Lucky me, we were going into that stench to begin the process of cleaning it out. Wilson Atomatoys Factory sat off the main roads in what looked to be now a field. Other land marks around it were a Red Rocket fueling station and the notorious raider infested Quincy, now a totally walled off compound. Scribes had spotted this small factory while scouting in a vertibird and wanted the tech that was rumored to still be inside. I knew from my past life experience that this factory produced the hottest selling toy that every kid had wanted. It was the Giddy Up Buttercup, a ride on mechanical wonder pony. The components that made up the Buttercup toy was what we were after. Anything Danse and I could confirm was there would be packed up by the scribes and taken back to R&D for study. After we scrubbed the place of its current occupants that is. Firepower first, then we search.  
The Vertibird landed well behind the factory, barely touching the ground before we jumped out, the air from the plane’s fans flattening the dead grass in a circle around us. It lifted ponderously after Danse signaled we were clear. We ducked behind an upside down car and hunkered down to do some surveillance. Both our Power Armour suits had upgraded helmets with visual zoom capabilities. In a rare instance, Danse was actually wearing his, I almost didn’t recognize him. We sounded off the routines, or the lack, of the muties we were watching. My eyes on the ground movements, his on the upper stories and rooftops. Most people just run in gunning when it comes to mutants. Danse liked to know what he was getting into. He was a good leader that way, I had learned a lot from him about about patience, and how if liberally applied, it can save lives.

Our targets seemed to be well spaced in the factory. A frontal assault would not be wise as the biggest mutant in the group was armed with a shredding type mini gun. It looked like we were going to split up and hit them from two sides. ‘And yes Knight, make use of your frags”, he said to me. “There are a lot of cars in that back lot that could be used to lure them out into the open.” “Just be wary, there may be traps on the ground so be vigilant.” he said, in his leader voice. “Yes Sir!” I said, excited now that frags were back on the menu! He would swing wide and approach from the side and I would go round the back and fling my frag’s until enough of them came out that we could enter the building without being swarmed. Even in power armour, you could be overwhelmed by just one mutant, if they were armed correctly.

Boom! Boom! Boom! The abandoned cars one after another blew up, the small mines they had placed near the vehicles were set off as well, my silenced 10mm I had stored in an outer leg compartment of my suit was reserved for just these reasons. My throwing aim was getting better too. I had even dropped one of the frag grenades into the broken window of one of the cars. “What?” “A Noise!” Not the most verbose subgroup, but the dickless bastards were strong! I raised Survivors Special and sighted along my brand new scope, oh the details I could see now! Brandis was going to be rewarded when we got back. The mutant came into view and I fired. Such a smooth weapon with all of Brandis’ upgrades. I smiled as the mutant went down, head severed from it’s neck, blood jetting from the wound as the corpse dropped first to it’s knees and then belly flopped onto the ground. Yep, I was definitely going to thank him for these upgrades. I crouched down, out of sight, letting the mutants scramble trying to find me. Danse had yet to fire, I wasn't worried about him. He would strike when it was time. The mutant on the roof of the building jerked forward and fell to the ground, a huge hole in his midsection, spilled guts racing him to the earth. Danse. That kicked the ant’s nest. They boiled out of the building rage making them (even more) stupid. The red laser fire to my left was rapid and constant, I joined in, trapping them between us. The leader’s mini gun roared to life, cutting a path in the field, always a fraction of a second behind Danse’s movements. It was a thing of beauty to see him dodge the slightly slower movement of the mutant all while he fired at it and eventually killed it. In reality it was a matter of minutes before they were all down, it felt like hours, time slowing. I stood up from where I was taking cover, the daylight fading, faint stars were starting to emerge. I looked around at the carnage, bodies steaming in the cool evening air. Slowly the sounds of the evening creatures resumed.   
“Shock and Awe!” Mr. Subtle was on the mic again. I think he was happy with the way the mission went down. “You are one hell of a solider, Sola.” he said to me. “Don’t get too excited Paladin, we need to sweep the inside, we may have a few more hiding in there yet.” “Too right!” he said, a little too jovial, a gift of the adrenaline racing through his system. We met by the big open door at the back of the building. The smell of the cars smoking behind us somewhat cancelling out the stench rolling out of the door from the inside of the building. I would have burned it down before entering it if I could have. But even then, some odors you can’t ever get out. And to think at one time I used to gag at the smell of cat piss on the wall in my open air garage. That was air freshener compared to this.  
We turned on our headlamps. We weren't’ going to kid ourselves into believing that if any muties were left that they didn’t know we were here. We were way past stealth time. The helmet lights didn’t help improve the place. Fresh meat sacs hung, blood still pooling underneath them, the floor was blackened and slippery with it in places. And dark, why is it always so fucking dark? The first room was trashed, filing cabinets and desks, their contents spilled every where. I was itching to loot, Danse knowing me so well shook his head when I was looking around. I got the hint. Mission first, treasure hunt after. He proceeded me into the next larger more open room. It was the manufacturing floor. The conveyor belts held a variety of parts spread along them, oh, look at that, they used one to process their, ug, meat sacks. Nasty. Nothing beats the smell of rotten everything and shit. Did I mention that Mutants were dirty? To the right there was a storage area and staff change area, a few work benches and shelves. We cleared out a few rad roaches that had somehow dodged being eaten by the Supers in the staff change area. I was able to gain entrance to the locked security door with the key card I found on a desk in the main entrance (ok so I did sneak a quick look at one of the desks there when Danse’s back was turned). It proved to have a stockpile of bins of all sizes containing everything that would make the Scribes very happy. Resistors, capacitors, relays, fuses, vacuum tubes, many different gauges of spools of wire, light bulbs, connectors, boxes, and even replacement sockets. This was an impressive find that would help with a multitude of repairs in and around the Prydwen. I could think of a few uses for a few of those capacitors myself, my fingers itchy to fill my pockets.  
“Knight, we have company!” an enraged yell from above jerked my head up. Danse was able to say this as the mutant dropped from the broken gangway above us. What the fuck? Danse was almost under the green bastard as it fell, grabbing his power armour by the back and dragging him backwards. I outed my Survivors Special and in one smooth motion I lifted the weapon and fired. Danse had removed his helmet (of fucking course) my shot passed over his left ear and entered the eyeball of the Mutant, (frying the fuck out of its almost non existent brain). Danse, unflappable as always straightened up and smiled at me as he wiped off mutant blood and eye gore said “Outstanding! Knight, you were born for this life! He advanced on me, setting his arms on my shoulders giving me a shake, goofy smile still plastered on his face. “Who are you, and what have you done with Danse?” I asked him. The normally dead pan Paladin just smiled and jerked his head in the direction of the as yet uncleared sections of the small plant. I pointed to his helmet, he took the hint and put it back on. We set to work.   
There were, thankfully no more mutants to remove. Danse and I finished our sweep on the roof of the building. He lit a vertibird signal and tossed it. While he waited for the bird I went back downstairs and did a little snooping around of my own. I didn’t touch the stuff I knew the Scribes would want, but the ammo, weapons and any food I could find I set aside for us to go through later. Danse and I would spend the night here and return home the next day with the Scribes and their haul. Our mission changing from sweep and clear to now hold and protect. The Vertibird was being signaled in for a fly past only so Danse could send them the All Clear signal. The bird was not going to land here tonight, just take back word that the mission was a success. Tomorrow the Scribes would return en mass and we would oversee their work, and protect them at the same time.  
Danse descended the stairs and returned to the main level, looking around at what we had accomplished. I had snooped around all I wanted to and had started the disgusting job of dragging out the corpses. We would burn them in the back, meat sacks too. Last thing I wanted was to sleep anywhere near that. It was hours of work. But our suits kept us warm or cool depending on what was needed, and kept our hands from actually touching the mutants or their filth. The additional strength the power armour gave us came in handy when dragging, or ripping down the meat sacks. We had a lovely hot fire burning, thanks to a molotov tossed into the gas soaked remains. We stood there for a while after the last body was tossed in, fire burning bright at the back of the factory, It would burn for hours yet. Hungry flames sizzling and crisping the contents therein. I never said this out loud to Danse, but it almost smelled like a BBQ cookout.  
The fire burned down to glowing embers and gristly remains, and we returned to the factory. We managed to make the first room somewhat passable for our night here. All the doors on all the levels of the factory the mutants left open we closed and barred. We were able to get the big garage door to rumble down and the hole in the wall upstairs from whence the big green meanie dropped onto Danse was hastily barred against intrusion. Well it was blocked in a way that in anyone, or anything tried to get in we would hear it.   
I cracked my power armour suit open first. I knew that Danse would wait until the last minute before he left his. I set up the travel stove and with our water supply got some ration packs on the boil for us. I spread out our new bedrolls on either side of the cook stove. R&D had found some new material that had been at a local military base. It was thin, but oh so comfortable and warm. It was nothing like my memory foam bed from before the bombs, but I doubted that material would have survived 200 years of use. Too bad, I really missed that stuff.   
The water was boiling now, so I fished out the travel rations, burned my fingers opening them and dumped the contents into our bowls. I put a spoon in each one and set mine down by my bed and handed Danse’s up to him. He nodded to me, mind elsewhere as he mechanically brought spoon to mouth over and over. I knew better than to interrupt him. He was rehashing the day, going over where we could improve and where we did everything according to code. I checked my Pip boy for the time. It was late enough to think about going to sleep but not really. I was not looking forward to tonight. God, I had made it through most of the day without thinking about how much I missed Brandis. Now with the long night ahead of me and nothing to occupy me, this was going to suck. I ate as mechanically as Danse, thoughts far away on the Prydwen.  
I heard the crank, hiss sounds of Danse leaving his power armour. It used to be the moment I waited for each night when we were out on long missions together. Danse is a fine looking specimen of a man. Tall, dark hair, light brown eyes, long muscular legs, really, really nice ass (so nice!). You could totally say he’s got a “Body by Power Armour!” He was also a gentleman in a time when I thought those skills lost. Before I found Brandis, I had pined over this man, hard. I had plotted in my mind how I could find a way to start, something (anything!) with him. I had not realized then that my partner was not really interested in women. Well if he was interested in women it was well hidden under all those layers of chivalry and manners and rules and regs. No, Danse appeared to favour men, one man in particular, our fearless leader Maxon. From what I understood Maxon was very very hetro and had his eyes on a lady, but no one quite knew who she was because he was so tight lipped about his personal life. Poor Danse. He sat down on his bedroll across from me, cross legged, and placed his empty bowl and spoon near the cooling stove. We would not bother washing them as we would be eating the same stuff for breakfast tomorrow before the Scribes arrived. I was suddenly so mentally tired. I dropped my head into my hands and let the last of the heat from the camp stove seep into me. Danse made a polite cough to get my attention. I looked up at him. He took in a long breath and spoke. “I couldn’t help but notice that you and Paladin Brandis seem to be, ah, close.” For a wonder, him saying this to me didn’t bring up any longing for Brandis, it just made me smile. “Yeah, it was thanks to you actually” I said to him. “Ah yes, the mission to locate the Lost Patrol” he said with a nod. “I crossed the “Wealth to find him and it felt wrong to just leave him there to make his way back to the Prydwen on his own.” I replied. “So he and I made our way back to the Brotherhood together. We had an adventure that brought us close and we found that we both liked what we saw in each other.” I said. “And now you are pairing off with him to make a child?” Danse asked in his practical forward Brotherhood fashion. I stared at him smiling for a few seconds before I reached into my back pack and pulled out a box of Fancy Lads Snack Cakes I had found earlier tonight. Danse’s eyes widened. “Knight, where did you get those?” he demanded, reaching for one. I smiled and opened the box and passed him half the contents. The hot water we boiled our suppers in was still hot enough to make tea so I prepared our evening drink as Danse stuffed cake number 2 into his mouth. “Hey that’s all you’re getting, I said to him, "so slow down.” He smiled at me, powdered sugar dusting his lips briefly before his tongue shot out to clean it all off. He never wasted a scrap of them. He set the box down though, as we waited for the tea to steep, I responded to his earlier forward statement.  
“No Danse”, I’m not trying to make a child with Paladin Brandis”. He looked confused, “But Sole, you are sleeping with him every night and you and he copulate regularly.” It was my turn to widen my eyes at what Danse said, “copulate??” really? “Its the talk of the showers most nights Sole.” he continued. “How you regularly mark him as yours, how he has pledged only to you, how you two end each night and begin each day with him seeding you thoroughly.” he said, face placid. “Danse, you missed your calling my friend, you should have been a doctor!” I said. You’re so clinical! I was still shaking my head at the uses of “copulate” and “seeding”. Honestly!  
“Danse, is it so hard to believe that I want to be with him because I really really like him?” That maybe I’m fucking him as often as I am because I like to have sex and because his cock fills me so thoroughly and completely that I am left, for the first time in my life, satisfied?” “That I lay with him every night because I feel safe with him?” “That I like how he wakes me up in the morning in time for my shifts with the slowest most mind blowing fuck that leaves me aching for more?   
I don’t think Danse was expecting that as an answer. He sat on his bedroll staring at me, mouth slight open, blush on his cheeks looking like I had shorted his brain. I poured the tea, passed him a mug and dropped in two sugar cubes. I left the spoon in for him as he preferred. Mechanically he accepted the tea and started to stir. I poured mine and cupped my hands around the mug and blew across the top. I shivered in appreciation of the heat seeping into my palms. My sips quick at this temperature.   
Danse was still stirring his tea. He has his “think face” on again.   
“There are many questions I would like to ask now”, he said to me. “But I think what I would really like to know is, where do you come from?” “We never really talked about it before.” he said. “You are so different from everyone else around,” he continued. “When I found you stranded on top of that broken down bus in Cambridge square surrounded by Ferals, I thought to myself that I had found another damsel in distress. But you had been fashioning a spear of sorts, a long stick with a combat knife attached to it. It would have been just a matter of time before you had finished them all off and climbed down. Your bedroll and cooking supplies laid out told me you had been there for a least a day. It was the increased noise of the ferals had drawn me out of the Police station. Seeing that they were grouped around the bus was a new one, even to me. I had never seen anyone as casually defiant as you were sitting up there, cross legged on your bedroll, slowly crafting that extension for your knife as the world beneath you was going to hell. Sole you were so brave, I just had to meet you.” he finished.  
“And that’s the reason why you saved me? I asked, Because you thought I was brave sitting up on the roof of that bus? "Paladin I was dashing tears from my eyes because I was so scared to even budge one way or another lest I fall off the roof!” “I was not the brave person you made me out to be.” I paused, trying to gather my thoughts and he took the opportunity to speak again. “But that is the definition of bravery”, he said quietly. The strength to continue when it appears that all hope is lost.   
He looked at me so earnestly, his brown eyes like melted chocolate in this light. I made the decision to tell him everything about me. “Ok Paladin”, I said, “I’ll tell you where I came from.”  
To say he wasn’t expecting what I told him is an understatement. His face was incredulous at times and sympathetic at others. He didn’t interrupt me, he let me tell the whole story. It was well past midnight according to my Pip Boy when I stopped talking, staring into my cold tea. The Pip’s glow illuminating our small camp. He set his half full tea mug down beside him and rubbed his face with both hands. When he sat up, I expected questions and lots of them. Instead he just nodded his head and said, “Well that does explain a few things.” He nodded again, moved his tea mug beside his bowl near the now cold stove and lay down on his bed roll. “It’s late Sole, we should turn in.” “The Scribes will be vibrating to get their hands on all this tech, it will be an early start for us tomorrow.” And just like that he zipped himself in, punched his pillow a few times and closed his eyes. I looked down at my nearly full tea mug in disbelief, slowly stirring the cold contents. Had he just heard my entire story and accepted it, just like that? I raised the mug to my lips and drank the cold contents, not wanting to waste it. I set my mug and bowl beside the stove and crawled into my own bed roll, suddenly too exhausted to keep my eyes open.


	18. A Second's Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Pip Boy alarm signals the beginning of a new day for our Knight and Paladin. Will Sola ever completely understand the BOS way of doing things? In this AU Danse comes to realize his feelings for Sola a little earlier than in game. An agreement with Brandis helps him to feel the confidence to act on them.

The Pip-Boy’s alarm chimes quietly, light pulsing with the ringing alarm. Time to wake up. The Scribes will be arriving in about an hour, eager to get a full day in. That gives them lots of time to get up, eat, suited up and do another site check before they arrive.   
I yawn, stretch and wake up enough to realize I am not alone on my side of the camp. I look down and see a big arm, dusted with dark hair draped over my waist, the hand buried up under my my shirt, gently cupping my left breast, his thumb is stroking my nipple. OMG! My brain shifts into drive and I wake up fully remembering where I am. And since the space across from me where my commanding officer usually sleeps is empty, no bedroll, no Danse....  
I’m playing the part of the little spoon and he’s big, all over big. So much more chest and leg and, well ah, yeah that too. His cock is in morning wood phase and I am ever so glad the skimpy layers we are wearing are keeping things barely civil.   
I marvel at the differences between him and Brandis. Danse’s body is dwarfing mine, surrounding me in a wall of muscle. The hand on my breast is large, and the chest behind me dwarfs me. He takes a deep breath and stretches, hips bowing forward, that aforementioned morning wood is ground against me. Ho-lee-fuck! That boy is packing! Knowing a thing and having, ah, concrete proof of it are two very different things. I need to shift positions so I slowly roll so my face is toward him. He groans and drags me up against his chest, the vee of his chest hair tickles me as I breathe in his scent. Warm, spicy and oh so male! His hand that has been cupping my breast slides around still under my shirt to my back, in a reflex move he pulls me closer to him. The strength of this man! I am not going anywhere. His long leg casually tossed over me pins me down onto my bed roll. He yawns, and mumbles in his sleep “keep her safe” as he nuzzles his face into my neck. He inhales deeply, did he just kiss my neck? Not Danse! My heart is pounding, and other parts of me are starting to respond. I know from watching him from heavily lidded eyes on numerous missions that he will open his eyes next, I hope he remembers crossing the campfire to plaster himself over me. I would really like to know what brought this on. No, I am not complaining, not at all. I have wanted this for so long, just why now, why when I finally find peace and comfort, and yes the beginnings of real love with Brandis does he now make this move? I choose the path of patience and wait, cause in reality, I’m pinned down until he lets me go. Tough morning. :) 

My heart is still pounding. So many nights I dreamed of this and so many mornings I woke to protocol and routine. He would have risen before me and already been in his power armour. Camp breakfast cooking and almost ready to eat. Now? I’m laying on my bedroll, watching Danse sleep well past his usual muster, I’m face to face with my literal fantasy and his face is buried against my neck. Yep, lips are making contact, in his sleep he’s kissing me. Oh, that feels so good. My traitor body thrums in response. 

I don’t think I will ever understand how things in the Brotherhood are done. From my pre-war perspective this embrace right here would be considered cheating. But I know damn well Brandis has hand his hand in this arrangement. I just need to hear it from Danse.  
Mr. Big Spoon tightens up again, but I am able to get my arm out before he squashes me up against his chest a second time. My tank top got caught and rucked up as I rolled over the first time and my breasts bared are pressed up against his chest. Skin on skin the connection was hot. My nipples were oh so hard. With my freed arm I tried to gently wriggle my top down, but he had me pinned. Almost serpent like his leg tightened again and I was pressed into that impressive morning wood. My already tuned up pussy flooded. I groaned as that familiar tightening and lengthening feeling uncurled inside me. I could feel the wetness building. Brandis always woke me with a slow fucking and I guess my pussy couldn’t tell the difference. I was left wet and horny and filled with want. On their own my hips flex grinding into him. He came to awareness slowly. I moved my head back a little and watched those dreamy brown eyes slowly come into focus. My face inches away, pillowed on his arm. He took a deep breath and smiled. “Good morning Knight” he said quietly, his eyes watching me, gauging my reaction. He loosened his hold on me somewhat and I rolled back a bit, my breasts slid down his chest a little. He looked down, blushing when he realized what he was feeling. His cock on the other hand kicked against me. “Yes Paladin”, I answered him, “it is a good morning”. His cheeks blushing furiously as he looked anywhere but my face or “down there” to where our chests connected. “So”, I start to say, snagging his eyes with mine, “I want you to know that I’m not complaining, but what I would like to know is, what brought this on?” As I said the word “this” my hand lightly touched his chest. “Oh, well, ah” he began, unconsciously dragging his leg tighter over me, pressing his cock against me. “I had a talk with Paladin Brandis” he finished. “I knew it!” I said, trying in vain to push myself free from his arms. “Sola let me explain”, he said hurriedly. “Danse, I just don’t want you to feel you have to do this out of duty”, I said quickly interrupting him, embarassed suddenly. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see the truth, that he was returning a favour to Brandis, that he was doing this because duty required it of him. “Sola”! He said, voice raised to snap me out of my melancholy. He pressed himself against me, his long arm reaching with ease down to my leg, drawing it up over his hip, his cock, barely contained in his BOS issued underwear snugged up and into perfect position. His long heat earning a groan from me. “Does this feel like duty to you?” he rolled his hips forward, his long shaft slowly working along my core. My head tipped back, my fingers dug into whatever of him I could reach, holding on. “Let me finish” he spoke again as he slid his cock back down again, getting another mindless groan from me. He resettled us, his leg still pinning me, his cock now snuggled along my core like it had parked there for ages. “Brandis asked me to be your Second”, he said. My blank questioning stare asked for more information. “OK, let me explain”, he said. “To start, it’s my honour to be your second, if, that is, you will have me.” He looked a little worried, like I was going to reject him. “It just means that both Brandis and I will be there for you”. “Since you and I are assigned to missions together, I am the obvious choice, but he also knew that you had, ah, well and attraction for me?” Again he looked like he questioned the obvious. ‘So Brandis asked me to be there for you.” “He explained that you have night terrors that can be calmed, but he didn’t say why. “He continued, “he said you would explain, but if you didn’t, all I had to do was ask.” “So that’s why I pried into your past last night”, he said sheepishly, his hand briefly leaving the small of my back to scratch the back of his neck. “Sola, I knew you were from, well here, but not really.” “you seem to know your way around, but you always look around you like everything is brand new”. “It was so confusing to me when I was observing you in the beginning, you know, before I offered you a place in the Brotherhood.” “Anyway you answered so many questions I had and of course I now have many more, but I digress.” he finished.

I just stared at him, this version of Danse that I had spent so long dreaming for, holding me tightly like he was afraid to let go. “Danse”, I whispered, my hand on his chest making slow lazy circles in his triangle of chest hair. “I thought you didn’t like, I mean, weren’t attracted to females, you know in this way.” I finished lamely. My turn not to look up fearful that this was again something forced onto him, even though his dick said otherwise. ‘Well”, he began, “ I really must admit for the longest time my career has been my sole focus. I plan my trajectory, I apply myself to the task at hand, and when I accomplish my goal I set another, and so on. When others around me were getting distracted by the physical attractions of others, I was upping my press in the gym. When other males were accepting the advances of the females, I was burying myself in our historical records. There always seemed to be another thing I needed to do, or place I wanted to be assigned to. Attraction never really hit me, and if my cock stood up, I just applied some lubricant and pressure from my hands and made sure to spend in a towel. I was always satisfied with that. Until I met Elder Maxon when I was assigned to the Prydwen. He, well I’ll just say he has starred in many of my fantasies. It was just him until I found a stranded civilian on top of a bus surrounded by ferals.” 

I looked up at him, confusion in my eyes. “Me Danse?” I asked, thinking I had misheard him. “Yes Sola”, he said to me, “You.” “Ever since you fell into my arms and passed out, trusting me to take you to safety, I have been gone for you. I didn’t know it then, but I was attracted to you. You completely fascinated me. You moved so differently, you spoke so differently, and the way you look at the world fascinates me. Like you were seeing it for the first time. Your strength, physical and mental blew me away. Your body, so totally different than any female I knew, fascinated me. Your jiggle when you walk. It’s absolutely mesmerizing to watch your ass in that vault suit.” He said this, eyes hungry, his hand sliding down my back to cup my ass cheek. “Danse!” I said smiling. “I’ve wanted to do that for so long”, he growled out. He kept up a slow massage entranced in what his hands discovered. He slid his hand back up to my lower back and resumed speaking.


	19. *Bonus Chapter* Morning Rush Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This bonus chapter is not long, but it does take the Danse/Sola story a wee bit further. I hope you enjoy!

“My favourite parts of any day we shared is always early morning and lights out at night.” he said. “In the morning when you wake, rising from your bedroll you always stretch, your ill fitting BOS issued tank top straining to keep those round breasts of yours covered.” I always hope that one day they will pop out.” His hand, moved from my lower back up, tracing the side of my exposed breast. A light touch, exploring my soft flesh. “My other favourite?” He said, “Is when you get out of your power armour.” “You back that ass out and your jumpsuit is slick to you from sweat, hugging every curve, ever round bit of everything that differs you from the females who have chased me my whole life. There you were, short, very round and for a wonder, leaving me alone, treating me as a fellow soldier.” “It gave me time to think, time to learn about you, time to grow to respect you and then time to realize that of any of the females in the BOS, you were the one I would, well, be with if the opportunity ever arose.” Oh boy was my heart pounding! “Danse, when did you realize this?” I asked, my hand now stroking the hard planes of his chest. “I finally accepted it after we completed the Fort Strong mission”, he replied. “And then you returned to the Prydwen and I was with Paladin Brandis”, I finished. “Well as far as I knew, you and he would be together for a short while, then when you were free again I would have offered you my services.” I had to swallow my guffaw. Oh the BOS and their totally romantic language! I had never met a group of people who got their rocks off to such clinical speak! Danse continued, “you seemed to be more than satisfied by Paladin Brandis, much to the confusion of almost everyone on the Prydwen, you kept him in your bed for far longer than anyone had anticipated.” He continued, “Everyone knows that in Paladin Brandis’ case, there was a good chance he was likely sterile from his near constant exposure to radiation. All the males were as surprised he stayed with you as long as he did, and the females were confused as to the reason you kept him.” “So if he can’t make a child with you then why, Sola?” His question sounded honest and curious, not jealous in any way. I took a deep breath and tried to figure out how to tell someone from this day and age about the concept of monogamy. “In all honesty Danse, I keep him in my bed because I really like him, not because I want a child with him.” “You have to understand Danse, in my time, when a female partnered off with a male she was expected to stay with him, come what may.” “I am having a hard time adjusting to the BOS way of thinking, if I am to be honest.” I said to him, my eyes pleading for his understanding. “In my time, if Brandis and I had paired off, he would fly into a rage if he knew I was laying with you like this.” “But you are telling that he’s OK with it, that he asked you to be there for me?” Danse nodded his head in affirmation. “Wow”, I replied, mind buzzing trying to re-order my thoughts.  
“But Danse!” “What about what you want?” I asked, worried again that I was being forced onto him. “Sola, he said, hand reaching up to tuck a stray bit of hair behind my ear, “I know I want to be here for you.” “I know I find you attractive, I know I want to offer you my comfort, my protection and companionship and yes,” he blushed a little, biting his lower lip before continuing, “I do want to...he swallowed, Adam's apple bobbing in his throat, “I want to be inside you,” he whispered, eyes intent on my face. My mouth opened with an “O” of surprise, shocked? You bet! Turned on? Abso-fucking-lutley! “Oh Paladin”, I whispered back. My head moving toward his, he lowering his to mine. Our lips touched, the lightest of kisses. They connected again, lightly brushing. I threaded my hands into his hair and tugged him down gently, deepening the kiss, my tongue gently flicking, encouraging him to copy me. He groaned and those strong arms crushed me against him as his tongue reached for mine.  
He pulled back slightly, and slowly pushed me onto my back, following until he was positioned above me. His knee between my legs demanded more room and I spread them wide to accommodate him as he moved in. He growled, mouth still on mine as his hardened member connected with my very wet pussy. I groaned, feeling how hot the connection was. He grabbed a leg with one hand and raised up my knee, driving forward his hips grinding his cock into me. The hand planted by my head rucked the bedroll in his grip. The Pip boy’s timer went off, startling us both. Our kiss abruptly interrupted, as we both strained to see the now flashing screen. “Well,” he said, blush creeping up his neck as he looked down at me, “that scared the fuck out of me!” 

I wanted to laugh so hard because his gigantic erection made a complete liar out of him. The scribes would be here shortly and we needed to get moving! He rolled off me and landed on his back, his hard cock still stiffly upright. I was so tempted to kiss it through the fabric of his straining underwear, but that would just lead to more distraction. Focus, I need to focus! Instead I jumped up to my feet and bent down to give him my hand. He looked at me, eyes widened at what I was offering him. Oh these BOS boys! He came to his feet, his cock head peeking out of the top of his underwear, a bead of pre-cum on the head. Oh we weren’t done. I reached over, and with my finger I gently spread his cum over the head of his cock. My touch freezes him, his breath sucked in, eyes pinned on my hand, I can see his heartbeat accelerate. I gently rubbed his sensitive tip, he shudders and another bead presents, I rub that one in too. He sucked in another breath, his hips giving a small thrust, the head of his cock pressing into the palm of my hand. He groans and reaches for me, hands on my shoulders, sliding down my arms to breasts growing heavy with my desire. He cupped them, thumbs circling the nipples in a very pleasurable way. The Pip boy chimed again louder, and we looked at each other. My finger still circling his cock head. His eyes hungry, his hips buck his cock again into my hand as he gently cupped my breasts. He surprises me by slowly pulling down my tank top, covering me. I return the gesture and try to gently tuck his cock back into his underwear. “To be continued Knight?" he askes in a whispered voice, eyes on my face. “Gods I hope so” I reply, my face lifting to his as he lowered his head down to claim another kiss.


	20. Working together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything has changed. The old mission routines are evolving, passion is growing, they want to find out more about each other, but the mission must still be completed. This new version of Danse that Sola is greeted with is surprising in so many good ways. This is a longer chapter just about the morning. The story will continue :)

We ate standing in our Power Armour this morning. Food barely hot enough to qualify as cooked. It was 07:30am and the Vertibirds were cresting over the horizon, they would touchdown in about 40 minutes. we grinned over our bowls at each other like fools, rushing to finish. I scraped the last of the mystery pouches we ate for breakfast out of my bowl and walked over to Danse to take his. He smiled at me, his eyes practically smoldering. I smirked and quipped, “Undressing me with your eyes again, Sir?” The aforementioned brown eyes that were smoldering at me popped open wide, a light blush bloomed on his cheeks. “S’all right Sir”, I said using formal titles again, “I do it to you all the time”. I took his dishes from his suited hand easily and before I could turn around, he grabbed my Armour stand brackets and dragged me over to him for a searing kiss. I dropped the dishes, they clattered to the floor as his hot mouth claimed mine, his kiss demanding, frustrated, horny. I responded with my own fire, tongue darting into his mouth tangling with his tongue. He caught on fast, hungry for more. Deepening the kiss as the Vertibirds neared. He pulled his face back first, far enough to still be able to rest his forehead on mine. “Always wanted to do that too”, he whispered. Eyes locking onto mine. “Danse”, I whispered, my face flushed with my own desire, “I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

We split up and quickly tore down our camp. Tonight we would set up in a new place, giving the Scribes the first choice of where they wanted their people to rest. He bent down and picked up my helmet and secured it in place, he then picked up the dished we had dropped and secured them in the top of his pack. I had his helmet ready for him when he was done and returned the favour with a satisfying “click”. He tapped the side of his helmet, the eye holes glowing in my direction and I turned on my com. I could just hear the chatter of the Vertibird pilots. They were about 15-20 minutes out, just enough time to do a recon of the building to double check our that we were still secure, then we looped back around again, laser rifles at the ready. I chortled with glee when I found more frag mines kicked off to the side in the long grass as we widened our original sweep. I requested permission to step out of my power armour so I could better disarm them. Danse swept the horizon and gave me the go ahead and I cracked my suit. I found 5, a veritable gold mine of mines! HA! I chortled to myself as I scrabbled around arse in the air bagging my new toys in my leg pockets before I scrambled back into my suit. Danse’s eyes were supposed to be on the horizon, and I trusted that for the most part they were. I might have jiggled about a bit more than usual, earning me an appreciative male cough or two. Yeah I know you're watching me big guy. He cleared his throat, his voice a little horse “You have a deft hand disarming those mines Knight”. Under his breath the com barely picked up the “I don’t remember them teaching that in basic training either!”. I suited up giggling, the hiss of my environmental systems kicking in covering most of my outburst.

The circuit was about over when he interrupted my scan of the back field. “Knight, he said to me, “I just want you to know that later, I fully intend to continue what we started this morning”. I stumbled, and his suited hand snagged my shoulder bracket saving me from a complete face plant. To say I was caught off guard was the understatement of the year. Did Danse just say that? My heart was hammering in my chest when he pulled me upright and turned me to face him, well his helmet, which meant I was completely unable to read him. “Speechless Sola? He teased, his hands still connecting us, “this has to be a first!” I blinked rapidly, and sputtered out “Danse!” when I finally remembered how to talk. “I, I” I said stuttering to get out a cheeky respond while my body began to heat...The com’s lit up, “This is Charlie Foxtrot Delta-109 from The Prydwen inbound to Tech Mine”, Paladin Danse do you read?” 

We were standing at the back door of the factory when the Vertibirds did their initial fly by. Danse relayed to them each a landing zone so we could do a concentrated evac. Both birds on the ground at one time. It would mean a lot of bodies to cover at once, but we were up for it. He had me stationed on the second site to handle any raiders if they decided to rouse themselves at this early hour. Yes, handle meant shoot to kill. In our current position we had clowns to the left and jokers to the right. My laser rifle was for the lack of a better term, locked and loaded. Danse and I hustled to our positions. The vertibird pilots were on point today. They flew as if they were tethered together. They turned at the same time, their rotors changed position in sync and they descended together touching the earth gently. “Shock and Awe!” Danse commented heartily across an open com. I think the pilots were doing it just to hear Danse’s appreciation, after they touched down they both waved to him at the same time. This kind of unloading meant the engines would still be running, so everyone exited with this in mind. I kept my head on a swivel as a team of bent over scribes exited, each carrying something in their arms and on their backs, so when they all exited their vehicle and touched the ground the bird was empty. In less than 5 minutes the pilots signaled they were ready for lift off and Danse gave them the green light. Again, as if they were one pilot they rose up and were on their way back to Prydwen completely synchronized. Danse was on the com again complimenting their tight manoeuvres. They were here and unloaded in less than 10 minutes. “Best damn pilots on the Prydwen” he said, voice sounding excited over the com, “They’re twins!” he crowed. I just smiled and shook my head in my suit, never thinking I would ever see so much emotion from Danse!

Eager scribes were being waved into the factory, they were trailed by two heavily armed Knights in full power armour. Each scribe carried a large box, or bag and wore a full kit on their backs. The strength of these BOS members never ceased to amaze me. Everyone always commented on the Power Armour physique, but Scribes, they were lean from hours of walking and heavy lifting. They literally carried everything they needed, depending on the Knights only for protection. A special case was made for this trip as the haul was rumored to be larger than anything one team could handle on their own. Two additional Knights had been assigned, and they each moved a huge crate from their vertibird closer to Danse. The head Scribe was beside Danse, reporting in as I made my way to him, covering the last Scribe in the line I was assigned to guard. I stood beside Danse as they finished their talk. Danse then waved over the two new Knights. We saluted each other and Danse removed his helmet, a sign for the rest of us to do the same. As the commanding officer on site the two new Knights would report in to him. “Sir!”, the male who’s voice was vaguely familiar, began. “Elder Maxon sends his regards for a mission well wrought.” he took a breath and continued. “You and Knight Sola are to remain here on site to offer additional fire support to the Scribes for as long as they need.” “Word has gotten out about the supplies therein, and Maxon fears the residents of Quincy or the Quarry may advance on us.” “We brought additional ammo for you.” he finished smiling. Danse smiled back and asked, “Thank you, Knight?” “OH!, the knight said blushing. “Knights Trevon and Mara reporting in”. He saluted to Danse, a blush creeping over his skin, and she rolled her eyes at Trevon as she saluted Danse. Now I recalled who he was! The last time we worked together he was a Scribe I was escorting out into the ‘Wealth. He had exhibited exceptional valour when we were ambushed by raiders. I was glad to see that my personal report to Maxon had not fallen on def ears. The conversation continued and I observed the Knights and could see Trevon smiling shyly to Mara. She shook her head with a small smile of her own, her eyes betraying her feelings for the younger Knight. I knew these two must have some kind of arrangement together. I had noticed that most away teams sent out lately were male/female pairings. Was this the BOS equivalent of playing matchmaker? I didn’t have time to contemplate this as Danse was giving us our marching orders, literally in my case. I was to continue to walk the perimeter, reporting to him after every circuit. He would supervise the interior, Mara he knew to be an exceptional long range shooter, so he assigned her to the roof and Trevon was sent to help the Scribes move whatever they needed moved. “Keep your com’s hot, and report in when requested.” “I’ll call for chow when its ready, now, move out.” We all saluted, secured our helmets and headed out to our assigned duties. I passed the efficient Scribes on my way out to my first circuit and marveled at how quickly they had begun to set up their camp, and a mess kitchen. That last one excited me because it meant that we would get something better than the ration packs they sent with us. Those packs brought the term mystery meat to life. 

A small group of the Scribes had already begun mining the building with organized efficiency while another group tended to the tents and the kitchen. The head Scribe was standing just inside the garage doors with an honest to God clip board and pencil in his hands, he was quietly making notes and passing orders to an attentive female who’s eyes were glued to him. I turned my back on their work noting her soft smile aimed at him, and began my first circuit.  
An hour later a thankfully quiet perimeter search complete I entered the building to find Danse to report in. I walked in past the kitchen, two carafes were set up, one for tea and the other coffee, oh things were looking up! I stopped at the table and asked a junior scribe if the knew where Danse was currently. He smiled and pointed upstairs with his chin as he deftly fixed two mugs with tea, one black and other with cream and sugar and pressed them into my hands. “Where the old office is, at the top of the stairs Ma’am” he reported to me with a crisp salute. Thank you Scribe I said, hands full, laser rifle slung over my shoulder as I made my way carefully up the stairs. Danse had been busy making the space somewhat livable for us, clearing the floor debris, covering the hole and moving the desks to form a crude privacy wall around the cleared space. He had our stuff neatly stacked on top of one of the desks and turned when he heard my heavy tread on the stairs. I was focused on keeping the liquid in the cups as I approached him and he set his helmet down on one of the closer desks (because typical Danse he was not wearing it!) and then he reached for his tea. “Ah, yes!” he sighed taking a sip. I put my cup down next to his helmet and removed mine and set it beside his. “Knight!” he said, greeting me with a smile when my helmet was off. I picked up my tea and blew across the top of it, lothe to burn the roof of my mouth again. “Paladin, I said, I have nothing new to report, it remains quiet out there”, I said, wishing I could push the sweaty strands of hair that always escaped my braid, out of my face. “Excellent Knight, he said and then winked at me. He actually winked!! He took a sip of his tea, and smiled again, making an appreciative sound. Mine was still too hot. So I smiled back at him, marveling at this new happier version of Danse in front of me. “So Paladin I said, a wicked smile hidden behind my tea mug, “just what did you have planned when we continue later?” 

I smiled and brought the mug to my mouth for a small sip. He walked over to me and took the mug, set it down on the desk and he slowly slid his power armour’ed hands up the front of my suit and onto my shoulders, gripping the bracket he held me. It was an oddly erotic move that I couldn't even feel, “Yes Pal..” I didn’t get to finish before he lowered his head down, eyes closed, long lashes brushing his cheeks, and started another kiss. Mouth hungry for mine he was not content with just a chaste peck, his tongue demanded in and I let it. We stood thus, slow movements, soft contact, he kept the pace slow, measured and oh so hot. His warm scent washed over me as he lapped at my upper lip and slowly pulled back. His eyes searched over my face and with the utmost control of his gauntleted hands he gently swept back the hair that was bothering me. He let go of my bracket and stepped back, he spoke with his voice of authority. “As you were Knight”. I saluted him, the gesture made him smile, and with a wink of my own, I gathered up the tea cups in one hand and my helmet in the other and headed back down the stairs. Flirting in Power Armour, another first with Danse!

My second, third and fourth circuits were all thankfully boring and routine. Quincy was quiet, and the Raiders in the quarry were for a wonder not firing off drunken pot shots at the mirelurks today. A small part of me worried, keeping me tense. Unpredictable chem soaked bored people made dangerous neighbors. The Scribes were amassing quite a collection of crates and when I went to report in to Danse again, I could see that he was not alone. The Senior scribe was there, talking with Danse, clip board secured to a special clip at his waist. I climbed to the top of the stairs, Danse acknowledged me with a nod of his head and I waited off to the side for my turn, I knew he would not appreciate me interrupting their conversation for me to tell him that once again, surprise! all was quiet. After about 5 minutes the Senior Scribe was done and they exchanged salutes. I also saluted to the Head Scribe as he passed me on his way down the stairs. “Knight, your timing is perfect!” he said as his greeting. “I am going to pull you off the perimeter and ask that you assist Knight Trevon in loading the vertibird that is currently inbound for the first load of crates. “The head Scribe informed me they have enough for at least two loads to be sent back already.” Danse moved to the railing to watch the Scribes work, how they documented each item and noted which crate it was packed into. Did every one of them have their own clipboard? The crates were genius. These ones were collapsible and many of them packed into the two large crates the Knights had carried off the vertibird. No wonder they had assigned one Scribe to do nothing but assemble crates. They stacked the filled crates on the ground floor by the main entrance where Danse and I had camped last night and directly across from the neat pile, the field mess had sprung up. Where now, delicious smells were coming from.” “When you and Knight Trevon finish packing that vertibird you can grab lunch for you and I and join me here.” The way he spoke with a lowered voice and looked at me with those dark eyes made my insides quiver a little sending shivers up my spine, “Yes Paladin”, I said a little breathy.

Knight Tre, as he preferred to be called was just as easy to work with as when he was a Scribe. We decided to move the crates from the garage bay to where the designated pick up spot was, so we could load the bird as quickly as possible. Danse had ordered that when the birds touchdown that they once again remain hot, so they could take off asap as needed. Drunken Raiders still thought that attacking the Brotherhood’s supplies were a good idea. We had the pile moved and ready to load on the bird when it passed over us and circled around before it landed, ground vibrating up through our boots when it touched down. We set to loading the bird, power armour suits making short work of the job, filling the bird before we ran out of crates. Knight Tre finally spoke to me as the last box was stacked into the bird. “You remember me?” he asked, the com and the steady thrum of the Vertibird distorting his voice slightly as he casually repositioned a rather heavy crate filled with full size Giddy Up Butter Cup’s with ease before strapping it down. “Yeah, I do”, I replied signalling to the Pilot that he was good to go. We both moved back from the bird and stood behind the remainder of the crates as it slowly lifted up, testing the stability of the load with a quick side to side move before he headed out. We could hear the chatter between the Pilot and Danse. When it quieted down Knight Tre said “I just wanted to thank you, for the recommendation for a promition,”. “Elder Maxon told me that I earned my rise in rank due to my exemplary actions, according to your detailed report.” I nodded to him remembering that conversation with Maxon. Trevon had gone above and beyond, saving lives as well as completing a rather dangerous mission when under enemy fire. Corvega was no cake walk, but he cooly dispatched both ghouls and raiders, never panicking. He even saved my life too. “Tre, you earned that promotion yourself.” I said. He replied, “Most Knights don’t report the good stuff any Scribes do.” “They are protective of their status, more Knights equals less power armour, less of the good weapons to go around.” He continued in almost breathless haste, “Sure, I gotta sleep in my same bunk in the commons cause all the private rooms are already taken, but I’m a Knight now because you let Max...er, Elder Maxon know.” “Thank you Knight Sola”, he said, finally coming to an end. We had walked back to the building when Danse’s deep bass voice cut in over the com interrupting our conversation to let us both know that the second Vertibird was 5 minutes out. We could just begin hear the beat of the rotors now, a patter in the distance. We both responded our affirmatives and the com went quiet. We had enough time to move a few more crates from the new stack inside the building to the pick up spot before, the pilot who was circling above us decelerated, rotors rotating now pointing downward and began his measured descent. 

The bird was loaded and on it’s way, my heart rate picked up as Tre and I walked back to the building to get lunch. He snagged a second tray and excused himself, he was going to take lunch up to Mara. A light blush on his cheeks I watched him hustle off. The Scribe in front of me had already loaded two trays for me without being asked. She saluted to me after passing the steaming trays and I was once again left a little dumbfounded at their formality toward me. Time for lunch. My heart rate started to kick up as I climbed the stairs.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a work in progress. Thanks for your patience while the adventure unfolds.


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